The practicing is really the thing that made me grow the fastest as a writer.
Everything else I was doing (reading books, craft books, blogs, industry news) was definitely helpful, but the one thing that really helped me improve was practice.
Everybody needs to come up with a plan that will work for them. This is just what worked for me.
Set goals you can meet. Starting out, I always set a goal of a page a day. I let myself come up with that one page whenever and wherever I could.
Start fresh every day…don’t play catch-up. Don’t get discouraged by feeling you’re falling behind. Each day is a fresh chance to meet your goal—not catch up on the previous day’s goal.
If you’re facing a challenging day the following day (or even if you’re not), then write a short couple of sentences that night to remind yourself what you’re planning on writing the following day. Or where you’re picking up with your story.
Be flexible. Learn to write on the go, out in public, in the morning, during lunch, or at night. You don’t have to set a particular place or time to write.
If it helps—try not to edit what you’ve already written. For me, that’s a discouraging process because I’m seeing all the faults in the manuscript. For me, the most important thing is moving the story to its conclusion, not editing as I go.
Remember that first drafts are supposed to be bad. And give yourself permission to have an awful first, second, or tenth draft. The only one that counts is the one you submit.
Have any writing tips for daily goals or starting out with a manuscript?
These are great tips. I’ve used some of these. One is that I plan the day/night before what I will write. Just a sentence or two. Why? Because my memory is HORRIBLE. I can’t remember what I did before I blinked last let alone what I wrote. :)
“Start fresh every day…don’t play catch-up.”
This is what I need to remember.
Merry Christmas!
Elizabeth – You’ve put your finger on something I really need to guard against: expecting excellence the first time I write something. It’s called a draft for a reason, and it’s not supposed to be the finished product. I’m sometimes hung up, you might say, because I am tempted to polish as I write, and not when the story is done.
I found a page a day works for me as well.
Terrific tips! I like the permission to write a bad draft!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.
A page a day, that’s a nice approach. It makes it possible to write a little bit, not impressing, but something, every day.
Merry Christmas, Elizabeth >:)
These are wonderful reminders that we could all use from time to time. Thank you!
Wonderful advice, Elizabeth. As always. For the opening scene, I like to close my eyes and envision it. It helps me write it if I can see it in my head first.
Teresa–We’ve both got terrible memories, then! I need that little reminder each morning…a note to remind me where I left off.
Alex–It’s amazing what you can accomplish with that small goal, isn’t it?
Carol–Merry Christmas to you!
Margot–I’d imagine that, as an academic, it would be really tempting to be a perfectionist with the first draft!
Cold As Heaven–I think it’s important that the writer can see progress every day. Good for our motivation, I think. I hope you have a wonderful 2011. :)
Heather–Thanks!
Helen–I’ve heard some writers say that the book plays in their head almost like a movie. That visualization technique can be really helpful, I think.
Jemi–Thanks! Write those bad drafts! :)
Those are excellent tips. I also like to ask myself a question at night before I go to sleep about a plot point. It gives the boys in the basement something to work on while I sleep.
Have a great holiday, Elizabeth!
Great advice. The not-expecting-your-draft-to-be-perfect-on-the-first-go-round is something I’ve been working very hard on over the past few months, and it has made a huge difference. I can’t stop myself completely from editing as I go, but I’ve dramatically increased my wordflow.