Over the past couple of weeks, what’s got in the way of your writing?
I know how easy it is to say “I don’t have enough time” (that often feels like my problem). Or maybe, for you, it’s something more like “I don’t know what to write” or “I don’t have anywhere to write.”
The problem is, these reasons probably aren’t
getting you any closer to a solution. If you want more writing in your life, you need to dig deeper to figure out exactly what’s going wrong. That way, you can look for ways to change it.
Here’s a simple structure you can use. I’d encourage you to write down your answers, so you can get some real
clarity.
- What were you planning or hoping to do?
- What happened instead?
- Why did that happen?
- What could you change for next time? (Come up with at least two ideas.)
Here are a couple of examples from my own writing life:
Example #1: Daily Fiction Writing Time
What were you planning or hoping to do?
At the start of September, my plan was to write fiction for 30 minutes each morning, from 6.15am - 6.45am.
What happened instead?
In reality, I used that time slot for writing perhaps twice! Usually, I didn’t do any writing in the early mornings.
Why did that happen?
Because I woke up later than I intended, and the other things in my morning routine took up that time slot.
What could I change?
One change that I’ve started trying out is to write for 15 minutes in the morning then find
another 15 minute block later in the day.
Another change I’m working on is to get to bed earlier so I can get up and have at least my 15 minutes of writing time in the morning.
Example #2: Monthly Fiction Writing Retreat
What were you planning or hoping to do?
I was hoping to go on an overnight retreat each month this autumn, where I book a hotel room overnight – so I get an afternoon, evening, and morning to write.
What
happened instead?
All the dates that worked around my freelancing and family commitments in September were expensive at the hotel I like to go to.
Why did that happen?
Because I didn’t plan far enough ahead when booking my retreat. (The hotel is cheaper when booking further ahead, plus then I can more easily fit my retreat around family plans, work deadlines, etc.)
What could I change?
One simple change is to book further ahead in future. I’ve got a writing retreat booked in
for mid-October and I need to start looking at November dates soon.
Another change I could try is to do a mini-retreat – perhaps an afternoon at a local coffee shop or even just a couple of hours writing somewhere different at home.
Whatever problems you’re facing, they likely have some possible solutions. Use the four questions above to dig into what’s not yet working for
your writing – and to brainstorm some ways to turn it around.
If you’re a member of the Aliventures Club on Facebook, feel free to come and share your answers there.
The Aliventures Club is open to anyone who’s ever bought anything from me. If that’s you, do come along and join us! If you haven’t bought anything yet, check out the Aliventures shop and see if there's a resource there that you'd find helpful.
Happy writing,
Ali
P.S. If you missed this week's blog post, you can find it here:
How to Write When ... You Don't Have a Good Writing Space
