I know I am not the only writer with notebooks and folders chock full of half-baked stories. I also know I’m not the only one who finds it unfairly difficult to resist diving into any other story but the one I’ve already committed my writing session to. As I’ve discussed in previous blog posts, this pull used to be so powerful, I didn’t finish a story longer than a thousand words until I was in my very early twenties—a decade after I started calling myself a writer.
Naturally, now that I feel like I’ve successfully tamed that beast, I am very happy to share the tips that help me stick to a single writing project—and not hate it or resent it.
Connect to Why You Want to Finish This WIP (and Keep Reconnecting With Those Reasons)
Before you get any further in your doc, create or find a space you can easily return to while writing. This might be a comment you leave, a chunk of text you keep a few lines below your last line of prose, a sticky note on your wall or on your laptop—just pick somewhere you know you will see every day, or think to check.
In this new space, you’re going to create a list of reasons why you want to finish this work in progress. Depending on why you write in the first place, this could be about the lesson you want to impart upon the reader, your original source(s) of inspiration for the story, the person you want to show this story to when you’re finished, or just a list of reasons why the story is cool. List as many reasons as you can—different things will speak to you on different days. And you absolutely should return to this list as often as you can as a way to reinvigorate your desire to write this specific story.
If you’re struggling to make that list, don’t worry—I’m very forgetful, and it’s easy for me to lose reasons before I think to actually write my own list. One thing I love to do is make mock-ups of the book cover and/or the book trailer in Canva because ultimately, I just really want to experience the thrill of hitting publish again!
Capture New Ideas—Don’t Chase Them
It is so, so easy to get into the mindset that you’re not working on the right project—that this newer idea that popped into your head is clearly the one that’s actually worthy of your time.
When you follow that plot bunny down its rabbit hole, believe me when I tell you another plot bunny will be hot on your heels.
Attempting to ignore the bunnies is futile. Instead, you must learn to cage the bunnies! Capture them in a notebook (which I might recommend over a doc, because a notebook can be placed out of sight, whereas a doc can be opened at any time). You can permit yourself to jot down some details about your new bunny, but if you suspect you won’t then be able to resist continuing to flesh out the idea for hours, set a timer. When the timer goes off, reread the list you made earlier, then get back to your original WIP!
Make Writing THIS Story Feel Fun and Rewarding in the Moment
I recently wrote a blog post with suggestions for creating your own writing dopamine menu, but I’m talking less about things you can do surrounding your writing time and more about things you can do while writing. You can read this blog post to dive deeper, but here are a few suggestions for how to make writing feel more fun in the moment:
- Find ways to make your draft prettier to look at using images and fonts
- Reserve a particular treat to be eaten only during writing sessions
- Establish a routine or ritual specific to this project (think candle scents, playlists, or writing uniforms)
If you want to take this idea to the extreme, you can even plan your own mini writing retreats when you plan to write for the majority of the day.
Join a Writing Challenge or Challenge Yourself
Writing challenges not only add the pressure of a deadline to get your butt in the chair, as our founder Racquel Henry likes to say, but they also provide a community to lend you support.
Have you heard of the Write Brave Challenge? At the time this blog post goes live, we’ve got a week left, but the great news is that you can still jump in! The Write Brave Challenge allows you to set your own intention, so you can completely customize the experience to fit your writing life.
Be Held Accountable
Speaking of communities, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention what a difference being held accountable to your writing goals can make. When you set a goal alone, it’s easy to quietly sweep it under the rug when working towards that goal becomes inconvenient. Having someone asking how things are going can be the reality check you need to make you remember that, hey, you’re a writer, and writers are supposed to write!
If you’re looking for accountability that doesn’t feel punishing and a supportive community, look no further than The Write Gym! Not only do you the weekly goal setting and check-in posts help you stay focused, but you also gain access to free worksheets, monthly masterclasses/fireside chats, and an amazing backlist of videos to keep you inspired for months to come. Click here to learn more!
