My 6 Step Writing Session Process
19:00
Photo credit: Clint Sharp via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA
This week, it’s been a real struggle for me to find focus during
my writing sessions. I mentioned in my post on Wednesday that I’ve had to go
back and drastically change the beginning of Snow because of problems with the inciting incident, which has
several drained my enthusiasm for editing. So I’ve had to work hard to make
sure I’m putting enough effort into my writing sessions and getting the most
out of the time I have. Of course, writing processes are ever evolving things,
but today I thought I’d share what’s working for me at the moment.
Step 1: Be Comfortable
Before I settle in for a writing session, I generally make
sure I’m as comfortable as possible. That means I’ve had a drink, I’ve taken a
bathroom break, I’m warm or cool enough, and I’ve got settled nicely in my
writing space. The more comfortable I am, the less excuses I can make to interrupt
my writing session later on.
Step 2: Close Non-Essential Tabs
After I’ve made sure I’m comfortable, I prepare my computer
for my writing session by closing every non-essential or distracting tab in my
browser. That means Facebook, Pinterest, and every other tab I don’t
desperately need has to be closed before I begin. This tells my brain it’s time
to work, and also makes it harder to procrastinate on social media by adding
another step to getting into my feed.
Step 3: Cue The Music
Great music has always been a big part of my writing
routine, and right now, it’s pretty much invaluable to me. At the moment, I either
listen to the Skyrim soundtrack, (you
can see my favourite pieces from that HERE), or to the album Miracles by Two Steps From Hell. These
albums are ones that allow me to concentrate while listening, and also get my
brain instantly in the right place to start thinking creatively.
Step 4: Full Screen That MS
Whether I’m writing in Word or using Scrivener, I need to
have my manuscript as the only thing on screen. Having multiple windows up at
the same time only distracts my already squirrel-like brain, which instantly
wants to dash between multiple things. One thing I especially love about
working in Scrivener actually, is the ability to full screen the document so
that the words and a plain black background (my preference) are the only things
I can see. I can’t even see the toolbar at the bottom of the screen this way,
which forces me to focus on my work.
Step 5: Hold Fast At The Ten Minute Mark
The ten minute mark is the most vulnerable moment of a
writing session for me. I’ve made a start on my writing, and maybe I’ve even
made a god bit of progress. And now I want a social media break. But even a
quick jump on social media pulls me out of my creative space though, and makes
it that much harder to focus when I get back, if I get back. Pushing through
the temptation at the ten minute mark gives me a much greater chance of getting
right into the zone, which is such an awesome place to be.
Step 6: Set Goals
I always have a time goal for my writing sessions. I’ll
write to the top of the hour, or for a set amount of minutes. But I also have a
MS goal too. It might be to edit one scene, reach the end of the chapter, or
fix some specific problem. A lot of the time, my MS based goal isn’t done by
the time my time goal is finished. But by that point, I’m often focused enough
that I’ll keep going until I’ve achieved the other goal too. And if I don’t, I’ve
still got a fair chunk of work done, which is great too.
So this is how I’m making the most of my writing sessions.
But I’m interested to know, what does your process look like? What do you do
differently to me? Music? No music? Regular breaks, or long stretches of
uninterrupted writing? Let me know in the comments!
12 comments
I need to try this DESPERATELY, thank you for sharing! I've been trying to focus on writing but somehow I end up reading hundreds of blogging tips online. I like to keep several tabs open to remind myself what I have to do ... perhaps I should simply hide the entire browser. Fullscreen is fantastic, and I love El Capitan's split screen because I can look at my edits to-do and my manuscript at the same time!
ReplyDeleteMy most efficient writing time is when I have a very solid goal I want to hit in a very short timeline, or when I'm procrastinating homework XD
I'm glad this inspired you to try something new Alyssa. I totally understand the whole having a hundred tabs and reading random things online instead of writing. My biggest procrastinator is YouTube. Ugh, I cannot have that one open at all while I'm working.
DeleteAre you a Scrivener user too then? That fullscreen function is such a lifesaver sometimes, don't you think? Thanks for commenting!
This actually sounds a lot like my writing session process. *nods* I have to get comfortable first, and that always includes coffee or some other hot drink, but usually coffee. And I tend to play music, but that does vary from day to day. And I like to minimize sources of distraction, so I do make sure all my tabs are closed and I actually try to push myself past the thirty minute mark or I'll still be tempted to slip out and do something else, like check my email or read a book or something. Full screen mode on Scrivener is a life saver. I love it so much. Word was great and all, but full screen mode is something else entirely. I'd wanted it forever even before I knew Scrivener had it. So I'm glad I have it now. *nods*
ReplyDeleteI don't like to take many breaks when I'm in writing mode because if I get distracted too long, I can't really get my head back into the game, so I have to do everything in large chunks, and if I have to take a break, I'll give myself five minutes or something. (Which is why I get annoyed when people talk to me when I'm in the zone--it usually means I get yanked out of the zone and can't get back in for hours.)
Thanks so much for sharing! It was really fun to read about your writing session process! :D
Your writing session process does sound very similar to mine. Ugh, and I totally know the pain of people coming and talking to you when you're writing. Certain people in my family do that all the time, which is super frustrating considering how long it takes to get in the zone in the first place. Thank you for sharing! I love seeing other people's processes.
DeleteThis is a wonderful post. I actually find that if I'm not comfortable I work faster. At the beginning I'll say to myself, "You can move to the bed ONLY after you write/edit ____ of words" and I'll do it and then repeat blah blah. It works and I can get a lot done in a short amount of time. Also I can't even listen to music while I write because I get WAY off track and find myself accidentally typing the LYRICS instead of the actual words :P
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with #5, once I take a "5 minute break" I'm not coming back. I'll be on social media for HOURS and by the time I push myself to get off, it's too late to keep writing xD
Thank you for sharing this Imogen! I can definitely take some tips out of this post :D
~Noor
Oh yes, I've definitely done intervals like that. Not generally moving location, because that breaks my concentration too much, but it is a useful trick on difficult days. Haha, I know what you mean! I generally have to listen to music without lyrics, or I get WAY too into the song to think about writing. Thanks for sharing a bit of your process. It's so interesting to see how it differs from mine!
DeleteThis is similar to my process. Depending on what I'm doing if I'm having a really tough time or not, I usually reward myself after so many words, like five minutes of Good Mythical Morning or something like that. I almost always have tea at my side and yes music. ^ ^ Miracles is a great album!
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Oh yes, goal bribery. Sooo helpful on those really bad days. I've used everything from chocolate to YouTube to five minutes on social media when I'm having a bad time. Thanks for stopping by Victoria.
DeleteThis is neat to see! Especially because my own process is much more along the lines of sitting down, turning on music, and typing madly. I wish I had more of a habit. :P
ReplyDeleteHey, if it works for you then that is your process. I work better with a bit of process to get myself in the right headspace, but you sound like spontaneous writing is more your thing, which is great. Everyone's writing process is different. Thanks for your comment Aimee!
DeleteI should probably do something like this... I don't do this, which means I do get distracted a lot, and I know it takes away from my writing... BUT this system is worth giving a try. Maybe it will help! :)
ReplyDeleteDistractions abound the moment you want to write, don't they? I hope something here helps you find your own process. Personally, I find it so helpful to have a bit of a system to setting up and running a writing session, if only for the fact that the process becomes ingrained in my brain so it knows when to switch to creative focus mode.
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