[Aliventures newsletter] Introducing Supercharge Your Writing Session ... plus How to Write at the "Wrong" Time of Day

Published: Thu, 04/30/20

Hello!

Are you struggling to focus when you sit down to write? This is one of the most common problems I hear about ... and if I'm honest, it's a problem I've often struggled with too.

That's why I've created something new for you. :-)

Introducing ... Supercharge Your Writing Session

Supercharge Your Writing Session is a detailed guide plus a set of printables to help you focus on your writing ... and, most importantly, enjoy it more.

It covers how to:

How long your writing sessions should be
How to make space to write (even when it's difficult)
How to set yourself up to focus
How to back on track if you get distracted or interrupted

It'll normally sell for $8. For the next couple of weeks, though, it's just $5.

As with all my products, though, you can get a further 35% off the price with the coupon code alinewsletter ... making it $3.25 for you.

You can find out all about Supercharge Your Writing Session here:

aliventures.com/supercharge-your-writing-session

(I've also included more details, and instructions on how to enter your coupon code, at the end of this email.)

How to Write at the "Wrong" Time of Day

In Monday's blog post, we looked at whether there's a "best" time of day to write (and whether that even matters much).

I think that almost all of us do have times when we're more focused and creative than others. But I also recognise that it's often not easy to fit writing in at exactly the right time of day. Right now, my fiction writing mostly happens during an evening or two each week: it's not ideal for me, but it's better than not working on my novel at all.

So what can you do if your writing time needs to be at the wrong point in the day for you?

#1: Have a Clear Start and Stop Time

If you're writing at a time of day when you're distractable, having a clear start and stop time can really help. If you sit down to write from 8pm to 9pm one evening, you're more likely to focus than if you're just aiming to "write this evening".

You might find it helps to make your writing session shorter than you normally would. Even 15 minutes is long enough to write, though I'd suggest aiming for 30 minutes if possible.

#2: Write Down What You're Trying to Accomplish

Before you dive into the writing itself, take a moment to write down what you're trying to do. Draft a blog post? Outline the next chapter of your nonfiction book? Complete a short piece for a freelance client? Write 500 words of your novel?

Getting clear about what you're aiming for can help you stay focused and use your time well. If your only goal is to "write something", it's easy to end up dithering about what to write, or getting sidetracked.

#3: Switch Off Your Internet Connection

I'm super distractable in the evenings, and prone to stopping every few sentences to see if anyone's liked my Facebook post or to find out whether that new season of a TV series I love has finally announced a release date.

If that sounds a bit like your own experience, then try switching off your internet connection while you write. (If you write in an online app, try using a browser plugin that blocks you from accessing all websites except for ones you've specifically listed as allowed.)

#4: Give It a Few Tries Before You Give Up

It can take a while to get into the rhythm of writing at a particular time of day. At first, you might find you struggle to even get started, or you aren't happy with the writing you're producing.

Don't give up too soon. Stick with your "wrong" time of day for at least a few sessions, and you may well find it starts getting easier. You'll also start to figure out the things that help you focus.

#5: Make It Something You Enjoy, Not Something You Resent

When you're writing at the wrong time of day, you may well feel you're giving up something else in order to do so. Maybe you're giving up a peaceful doze in bed, or you're giving up your leisure time in the evening.

Try to make your writing time something to enjoy – not something you resent. For me, that means having a cup of tea and some chocolate to hand. ;-) For you, it might be scented candles, coffee, or anything that makes writing feel like more of a treat.

I know how frustrating it can be when your writing has to fit in around the edges of the rest of your life. But if you can carve out a little bit of time each week – even if it's when you're not at your most focused or most easily creative – you'll make real progress.

Supercharge Your Writing Session

Supercharge Your Writing Session is designed for anyone who'd like to fit in more writing, focus better while writing, or simply enjoy writing more.

It's suitable for both fiction and nonfiction writers.

The Supercharge Your Writing Session guide covers:

Why having specific writing sessions (rather than just writing when inspiration strikes) is so important.
The pros and cons of long and short writing sessions.
When in the day you might want to write.
How to make space for your writing ... even when your house is crowded and it's tough to find a quiet place to write.
Ways to set yourself up for a focused session of writing: simple, quick things you can do each time you sit down to write.
How to refocus if you get distracted or if someone interrupts your writing.

Along with the guide, you get three printables that you can use to support your writing sessions. These are:

The Writing Jump Starts sheet: a bunch of ways to get yourself moving again if you're stuck on what you're writing. The list is split into fiction and nonfiction jump starts.

The Writing Routine sheet: a printable you can use to design your own "getting started" routine so you can settle quickly into writing mode.

The Writing Session planner: this one's designed to be printed as many times as you want. You can use it at the start of each writing session to track what you're working on, plan out what you're about to write, and reflect on what worked and what you want to do next time.

As well as the nice colourful versions, the printables all have a black and white version that won't use up much of your printer ink.

It's currently just $5 (it'll be going up to $8 in a couple of weeks).

However ... you can get an extra 35% off the price with the coupon code alinewsletter. That'll make it just $3.25.

Here's the link again:

aliventures.com/supercharge-your-writing-session

Coupon Code Instructions

To enter your coupon code, just click the Buy Now button, enter your email address, and click the link that says "Add coupon".

It's quite a small link, so here's a screenshot to show you what you're looking for:

Happy writing,

Ali

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