Writing My Way to Consistency: Tools, Tips, and Lessons Learned
I struggle with consistency all the time.
Sometimes being inconsistent is unavoidable when life gets in the way. It's important not to be hard on yourself for things you can't control.
Here are some ways I help maintain consistency in my writing schedule and a few things I've learned along the way.
I encourage you to play around with them and see what works for you.
Time Blocking
I have a love-hate relationship with time blocking as you may know from my previous article 'How to Overcome Mental Resistance for Effortless Writing'.
I often find that my energy levels aren't that consistent which makes this an approach that doesn't always work for me. However, just like a meeting with someone else, when I do time block something, I know this meeting is one I must keep.
I give myself freedom within the scheduled block to work on any tasks I want related to the category. I also use this method when on a deadline to make sure I have enough hours reserved to get the task completed. This technique doesn't have to be as rigid as it's often written about and If I'm not feeling it, I still show up when I say I will and call that a win.
Writing Trackers
"What gets measured gets managed" - Peter Drucker
I started out with an excel tracker I bought from Jamie Raintree. You can track up to 10 projects over the course of a year and the spreadsheet does all the calculations for you. It's takes your goals, visualises them in a graph and tells you if you're on track. It's a cool way to see my progress over the year. Ultimately I'm not a spreadsheet person and decided to use other tools but I do recommend this for people who like looking at their data this way.
My to-do app of choice, Amazing Marvin, also allows me to set goals, habits, phases of a project and checklists all in one place. It's an incredibly powerful tool that you can customise for your own workflow using all of their science-backed strategies. I will likely do an in-depth review of this tool at some point because there is so much you can do with it.
Last but not least, Track Bear is free and perfect for writing projects. It displays data the same way NaNoWriMo does and you can even import your writing progress from NaNo to Track Bear. If you don't have a way to track your writing progress or want something that's free and easy to use, I highly recommend this app.
Set Realistic Deadlines
I'll admit that I'm terrible at this. There's so much I want to do and I constantly feel like I'm behind. I end up jamming way too much onto my plate and everything always takes twice as long as I think it will.
Figuring out what a realistic deadline is for the amount of work I'm trying to accomplish was a big game changer for me. Doing this allowed me to work backwards and properly plan a timeline that was reasonable for my current lifestyle and availability.
I had to figure out:
How many hours a week I could actually dedicate to my project
The amount of time I would initially dedicate to plotting the story and,
The number of words I could type per hour
This allowed me to create a good roadmap I could follow where I was able to see progress. Like most things though, I've had to make changes to the plan along the way but I keep checking in to make sure I don't get too far off track.
Play
This is probably the best tip I can give to improve writing consistency for one reason - when something is fun, we enjoy the process.
That's it. Enjoyment. That's the one thing that keeps me coming back to writing and other creative interests I have. I simply enjoy doing them and would miss not doing them.
I often try writing in different styles to see which ones I like best. Just a short 500 word paragraph is enough to tell you if you like writing a certain way or if a certain way is easier for you to naturally do. Knowing this helps me understand how I like to write which makes it easier to get started.
I use random name generators and strange prompts and start writing to see if I can create something from nothing and it's very fun. Bouncing ideas off people in a community or Chat GPT can create some interesting thoughts and breakthroughs when you're stuck.
You just don't know what you will come up unless you give yourself permission to try.
Your work is for you
Reminding myself that I don't have to show anyone my work if i don't want to really helps. It reduces the pressure of knowing that my work will be read someday which helps me get started now.
When I get stuck in my head or paralysed by perfectionism, this thought helps me get out of my own way and begin.
Reflection
Sometimes I don't feel like writing and there's nothing stopping me. There's just resistance when I think about starting. I try and break that down by asking myself why i'm feeling that way and I keep asking why until I get an honest answer. I usually end up at exhaustion, fear or overthinking.
Self reflection sessions are a great way to figure out what's working for you and what's not.
Are you where you need to be? If not, what got in the way?
Taking time to reflect on questions like this helps me refocus if i see i'm not making progress. I then try something new and see if that works better at keeping me on track.
Community
Writing is lonely. So, so lonely. I sometimes wonder why I'm even doing this and if what i'm making is actually any good. When I lose motivation, knowing I'm not alone really helps me get unstuck.
Joining writing groups is so beneficial. I've had some bad experiences with them in the past but not every group is for every writer. If you're not enjoying the current group, you can find a new one. I currently have an amazing group and am so grateful for that. There are also many authors who post their sprints on youtube or twitch and you can write along with them too.
It helps me to know that there are other people also writing. It keeps me motivated.
Habit Stacking
I try to habit stack my writing sessions. It helps make them a part of my routine.
For example: I have dinner and then I do stretching and then I write and this is just something I know I do.
I make sure my writing window is the first thing I see when I open my computer again after dinner. Prepping the workspace is important for me or I get distracted easily.
Stacking habits is very powerful because it removes choice, and therefore distractions, from the equation. It becomes automatic just like brushing your teeth before bed.
Final Thoughts
What I've learned is there is no hard and fast rule that will help you maintain consistency.
Certain strategies and approaches will work for different people. I've made it a rule to keep learning, experimenting, and refining the process as I grow as a person and as a writer.
I find this to be the best way to improve.