17

Jun

Maintaining a Productive Writing Routine

Being a freelance writer takes commitment and a willingness to adapt your lifestyle to accommodate writing into your daily routine. Writing needs to become a habit, a daily ritual, a personal challenge and the ability to be selfish with your time.

Many online and offline writers find themselves getting stuck with their assignments, blogs, novels etc. Having a deadline can cause anxiety in the writer who is having problems with what they are writing. It can cause them to rush the writing in order to meet the deadline and it can often result in a piece of writing that is second rate and not satisfactory to the writer, the publisher, or the reader. Having no deadline on the other hand can result in complacency and procrastination. It gets easy for the writer to stop what they are doing and find something less mentally demanding instead.

Whatever your situation, do not stop writing and honing your craft. Set a time and a place to work and stick with it. If you are writing to a deadline and you find yourself running out of time don’t panic. Ask for an extension if possible. If that is not permitted then don’t fret.

If you are not writing to a deadline don’t get into the habit of being lazy. In either situation continue to work, even if for a few minutes it is on something else. Taking a break from your writing project is healthy. If you are sticking to a daily writing routine, then consider ways to enhance your writing even when you take a breather.

Here are some ideas for what you can be doing while you take a break from a project:

• Write a poem. Consider it a writer’s doodle and a means to keep your imagination alive.
• Write a journal entry. Perhaps write something on the struggles you are having and how you hope to overcome them.
• Update your status on Facebook. Dazzle your friends with something other than what you are having for dinner later.
• Construct an entertaining tweet for your loyal followers on Twitter.
• Email friends or family.
• Do a little research on what you are writing about. Find something that will trigger an urge to go back to what you were originally writing.
• Read other blogs on writing. There are many tips for writers especially from some who have experienced the trials you are facing.

Achieving something else, however small, can give you the incentive to return to your writing piece with renewed vigor. Be mindful of the time you spend on something else and ensure it doesn’t get in the way of your intended project. Use the time you have set aside to work constructively and you will feel better about yourself and the work you are doing. Your freelance writing can only improve if you work at it.