Writing Strategies: Write Like Your Livelihood Depends On It

“I have to force myself to sit in the chair, as if writing is my last priority,” although we stood in one of Savannah’s historic Squares under picturesque live oaks, there was a definite whine in my voice.

“I do everything else first, and by the time I get to writing, I’m tired.”

This wasn’t writer’s block. It was the inability to take charge of my writing life. Although I’d moved to Savannah to write full-time, I found myself grieving. Back when life was brimming over with a husband, adolescent, and full-time job, I’d found it easier to carve out time to write.  Now that I was alone and writing was my expressed raison d’etre it was barely happening.

The artist I stood with narrowed her eyes with the bored expression of someone who’s heard it all before,

“Do you write for the rent money? Is it something you have to do to live? To put food on your table?”

Her point hit its mark. I used to develop a strategic plan each year with aggressive financial goals and deadlines. After drafting the plan I studied it like a treasure map. Yet, when it came to writing my novel, I had nothing but a sketchy outline that couldn’t help me develop anything past page thirty. Where was the conflict? What did the character want, or need? Yes, I could answer those basic questions — in a rambling sort of way — but I was waiting for some kind of magic inspiration, or pixie dust, to flesh out the story.

Think strategically. Since that conversation, I’ve begun applying the same strategies I used as a Chief Development Officer to raise millions of philanthropic dollars each year. I’m back on track and closing in on completing the first draft of my next novel. We all develop our own processes, but these are the ones I’ve used to infuse my writing life with energy. If you’re struggling, perhaps something here might resonate with you:

Develop your outline. Put your entire book on the page in outline format. It becomes your strategic plan. There will be changes, characters will do unexpected things, the story might  take a surprising turn….but have enough of a comprehensive outline to get started writing each and every day. I’ve captured the plot, the subplots, the characters, the conflict, in outline format.

No point in sugarcoating it; I hated writing that outline. But its value is apparent to me and I’ve discovered that I look at it less, and less, because its become a part of me. I know how the story ends, and without fail, I’m working to get there.

Enter daily goals onto your calendar.  Mine are short and straight forward: finish chapter nine, add character development to first paragraph in chapter ten, reach page 250 today, add research on page 213, what does page 83 smell like?, reach 63,000 word count today.

Goals are varied and they are constantly changing but I always have them.

Schedule a time to write and stick with it. After feeding the dogs and cat, I pour that legendary first cup of coffee in the morning, and open the document to where I left off yesterday. I do this first thing every morning and I don’t stop until I need a break.

Do I write at other times, like late at night? Sure, when the ideas keep coming, I love writing at night. But assessing my current lifestyle, and productivity, I need to make it my priority to start each day with writing. As if my livelihood depends on it. Everything after morning writing is gravy.

Get feedback. For the first time, I have a beta reader and belong to a writing group. This means that I’m getting critique information as the novel develops. I think of it as quality control; if the reader is confused by something I’ve written, I’m getting that information early. My fantasy is that because of this step my revision won’t be as ugly as past revisions. Stay tuned and I’ll let you know if that turns out to be true.

Set deadlines. Just as I used to know I needed to raise $32 million by December 31, I’ve set the deadline for when my first draft will be complete. With that date in mind, I’ve set the deadline for completing my first revision. I’ve told my agent when I plan to share the manuscript with her. Just as I did in business, I’ve made the deadlines achievable, but aggressive, and I’ve shared the information, so now it’s a commitment.

Write everyday. The photograph for this post was taken outside a cabin I recently stayed at in Maine. It was a great writer’s retreat with plenty of solitude and I purposely scheduled my time that way. But since I began incorporating strategic thinking into my writing life, I now have confidence that I would write everyday even in the midst of a hectic day. After all, I used to do it; when I was a wife and mother, and worked full-time with a hard commute. I knew how to adjust each day’s goals accordingly, making them achievable, and depending on the day, perhaps not as aggressive. I wrote my first novels that way. Writing everyday keeps the flow alive; it feels vibrant and progress happens.

I had forgotten these basic work strategies, and writing was a struggle. Thankfully, the pure joy of writing, the need to sit down and fill the blank page, has returned.

If you have go-to strategies for writing, please share them!