Seven simple pointers to turbocharge your writing routine
I’ve been dabbling in a little mystery writing inspired by life in the marina – and it’s denizens. This exercise has given me renewed faith in many of the writing topics I explore over and over again in my Monday motivations.
I distilled these insights in All About Writing’s free subscriber-only Monday Writing Motivation, A writer’s thorny path to competence.
I deliberately didn’t go into too much detail in that piece, but being aware of the wealth of information on this website, I thought it would be worth expanding on my email and drawing some of the material together as a resource for our community of writers and authors.
So, whether you’re plugging away at your next literary masterpiece or just trying to get your daily word count in I think you’ll find some useful advice, inspiration and motivation here:
Lessons from a long distance runner: Eliud Kipchoge’s success in marathon running offers valuable lessons for writers – discipline, attention to detail, and a positive mindset. His philosophy that success is “not about the legs, but about the heart and the mind” translates to writing as a reminder that it’s not just about word count, but about passion, ideas, and craft working in harmony. Read more here…
Momentum is key to creative success. Consistent daily practice maintains the flow of ideas and keeps your work vivid and engaging. Interruptions can stall progress significantly, making it difficult to regain your stride. Read more here…
If you fall out of your writing routine, it can be challenging to resume, even when you’re acutely aware of the benefits and satisfaction writing brings. To re-establish your writing habit, focus on persistence and small, manageable steps. Begin with a single paragraph or page, and commit to writing consistently for about a week. Read more here…
Planning: As a writer, you face a crucial decision in your creative process: whether to meticulously plan your story (Ken Follett’s detailed outlining method) or let it unfold organically as you write (Donna Tartt’s decade-long, mood-driven process). Consider experimenting with some scene planning to see how it impacts your writing process and outcomes. Read more here…
Writers of course benefit from both planning and allowing spontaneity in their storytelling process. The most important lesson is to strike a balance between structured planning and openness to unexpected inspirations, as even seemingly unplanned writing often draws on deeply ingrained story structures absorbed from a lifetime of cultural experiences. Read more here…
Understanding scenes is crucial to crafting compelling narratives. Every story, no matter how complex, is built on the foundation of well-constructed scenes. You should approach each scene as a mini-story with its own beginning, middle, and end and treat each scene as a crucial building block of your larger narrative. Read more here…
Focus on writing vivid, dramatic scenes filled with conflict, dialogue, and emotion to keep your readers immersed in the story. While some exposition may be necessary, too much can cause readers’ interest to wane, so strive to balance ‘showing’ with ‘telling’ and transform expositional passages into engaging scenes whenever possible. Read more here…
Happy writing
Richard
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