Writing Plateau? Tips to Keep Climbing

November is an exciting month for writers. Many are inspired to write 50,000 words as part of NaNoWriMo. Others fight to achieve their annual writing goals before the holidays kick in. And many unpublished romance writers are polishing their Golden Heart entries for Romance Writers of America's prestigious contest.


The first week of any writing project is usually pretty successful. After all, you're excited, but tremors of nervousness ripple through. Will you pull it off? Of course! You're determined.

Somewhere along the line, though, these big goals become enormous. We doubt our abilities, and even if we're on track, we wonder if we can keep it up. One small setback can snowball into an entire week of slacking. And one week of slacking can result in quitting.

Here are some suggestions to overcome a writing plateau and meet those goals.

• Break up your daily goals into small chunks. For instance, if you've determined to write 2500 words per day, but you're staring at a blank screen and mumbling to yourself after writing 1000 words, don't force it all in one sitting. Give yourself mini-challenges. Twitter has a popular hashtag #1k1h meaning you'll write 1000 words in one hour. If you give yourself an extra fifteen minutes each session, you can write 1250 words.


• Plan out each week. Get your calendar, a piece of paper, and a pen and write down a realistic goal for each day. On days you have extra obligations--maybe you have a dentist appointment after work on Wednesday, or you're meeting your mother for lunch on Saturday--downgrade your goals. Schedule a heavier writing load on days without extra obligations. If necessary, reschedule non-essential appointments.


• Fit non-writing goals into your day. Don't let the house fall apart or ignore the laundry because you have lofty writing plans. If shopping for Christmas presents early is part of your annual routine, try to fit some shopping in. Skipping these tasks will only stress you out more, making you less likely to achieve your goal. Take twenty minutes to keep up with your dishes, or set aside fifteen minutes to order a gift online. These small tasks pad your ego and give a sense of accomplishment, putting you in a mentally happy place to write.


• Take a brisk walk. Studies have shown that exercise feeds our brains. If you're banging your head on the computer keyboard, throw on a coat and head outdoors. Even ten minutes can give you the breakthrough you needed.


• Limit your Internet time but don't eliminate it. Sometimes we need encouragement. A quick e-mail or a few minutes on Twitter can give us the boost to keep going. If you struggle to turn off the Internet, or find yourself "only checking one thing," but realize you just spent an hour online, set a timer. You'll be amazed what you can catch up with in fifteen minutes.

What other tips do you have for maintaining writing progress?
Have a wonderful weekend!

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