How Setting Yourself a Writing Challenge Will Help You Get Sh1t Done!

November is National Novel Writing Month -  NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo is an international movement to encourage budding wordsmiths to spend a focussed period of time, working on a book. 

The idea is to write 50,000 words in a month, which translates to roughly 1,600 words a day. 

A tall order and a tough challenge. 

You have to be committed to write that many words every day. You need a plan, you need discipline and you need to not faff around self-editing as you go! The idea is just to let the words come, stream of consciousness. It’s the one time when quantity trumps quality, because the point of the exercise is to get the words out of your head an onto the page, so you can do something with them. 

I’ve successfully completed the challenge twice. 

Once in 2013 when I started writing my second book, Solomon’s Secrets and once in 2015 when I was writing my 4th book Gabriel's Game, Part 2: The Black Knight.

After writing and publishing the four novels of the Sheridan and Blake series in quick succession over four years, I’ve not started a new fiction project for around 18 months. 

Most of my writing in 2016 and 2017 has been non-fiction, blogs, content and training materials as I have built up my Amy Morse consultancy business. 

However, one of my goals for 2018 is to publish another fiction book. 

I shared some tips in a previous blog on planning and executing a successful NaNoWriMo, based on my experience with my books, but NaNo has not been my only writing challenge. 

I completed and published my first book, The Bronze Box in 2013 as part of a 365 project – I did one thing a day for a whole year towards my goal of publishing a book. 

That was how I started blogging (read the story here) But I have also done a 'mini nano' in August and shared my tips in another blog. 

It’s time I took on another writing challenge. 

I recently read an article by Marc Guberti about banking a year’s worth of blog content. It’s inspired me to get ahead of myself for 2018 and really nail my content marketing for my Amy Morse, Write Your Way To Success consultancy business. 

The secret to completing any writing challenge is to break it down into manageable steps. 

50,000 words sounds a lot in 30 days (and it is). But when you break it down, 1,600 words a day

sounds more manageable. 

Writing a book is a big deal but really, it's just one word after another...

When you break it down further, that’s 2 stints a day of writing 800 words. 

You can write 800 words in an hour if you focus and put your mind it. 
 
(More if you voice transcribe it!)

So, 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the afternoon and boom, you’ve written your 1,600 words. 

So, how does writing a year’s worth of blog content break down? 

I’m going to set my deadline as the end of the year. 

That gives me just under 2 months. 

I need 24 articles – 2 blogs a month and I’ll also write some ad hoc content in between, and continue to host guests so I can publish a blog every week. 

In my coaching practice with businesses, I recommend minimum 1 blog a month, working up to once a week. 

As a seasoned blogger and writing coach, I’ll be sticking to my routine of weekly blogging. 

So, we have 6 weeks until the end of the year, 24 blogs. That’s 4 blogs a week. 

I’m going to draft these blogs; they won’t be finished, so, I will draft them, then polish them as and when I publish (the chances are, I’ll probably want to change them on the day I publish them anyway). 

If we say an average blog is 800 words, which takes me an hour to bash out in draft form, that’s 24 hours of work. 

Let’s say, 4 hours a week or 1 hour 4 times a week. 

So, twice a week, I need to allow 2 hours for writing, for example, an hour Tuesday morning and afternoon then an hour Thursday Morning and afternoon. 

Or, I could write one article a day and easily have enough content written by the end of the year, but realistically, there will be days when I won’t find time to write as I have a busy schedule, especially in November. 

Another option, and I enjoy doing from time to time, is to take writing retreat days. 

I take myself off to somewhere for the day with the intention of just writing. 

I go to a hotel or a coffee shop and pitch camp for the day. 

It’s important to plan ahead and decide in advace what the goal for the day will be. 

However, experience has taught me that if I don't write regularly, and then try to cram it in a day, it rarely works out. 

For me, a combination of some regular, short stints of writing and a couple of chunks of time where I just write, is the most manageable and productive combination. 

So, my plan is to write a couple of times a week, plus have a couple of retreat days.

24 blog articles in 6 weeks - could you do that? 

Tell me in the comments, or select a letter...

a) Hell yeah! That's easy, I write every day!

b) If I made a plan, I could pull it off!

c) Maybe... I might need a kick up the backside to do it, though!

d) Maybe... but I'd get stuck for ideas!

e) No way! I'd never fit it in!

The Crippling Blank Page - One Tip to Get Writing

The toughest part of writing is getting started.

Having ideas is one thing, committing them to paper is quite another!

Ideas is not something I struggle with - I wrote about my 5 current book ideas back in May.

I'm still yet to make a decision on what fiction project to start next. Instead, my writing time has been filled with creating content for my upcoming eCourse - Build Your Blog. 10 step by step workshops to grow your business by blogging.

I've blogged about getting the creative juices flowing in the past too - 'Conquering Creative Constipation'.

But, there is one quick tip I want to share with you about how to get going in the first place. 

How to start on the journey into writing regularly, and building those all-important regular writing habits we must have in order to make progress with our writing project - be they creative or otherwise...

Whether you're writing a book or writing a blog, writing regularly, little and often, is the only way to do it!

Watch the video here:

One tip to get you going with writing: 

Write unintentionally! 

Happy writing!

How Should I Structure My Book? - Infographic

I write fiction as Amy C Fitzjohn, but when I'm not writing, my day job is to help others discover the joy of writing - in particular, businesses. 

As a Content Coach, I work with small businesses every day to help them bring their words to life, using my experience as a fiction author, story fanatic and a trainer.

I'm working with a client who is writing a non-fiction book.

At our last session, we talked about how to structure her book, the 'architecture' behind building that book.  

It made me realise that putting together a book, whether it's fiction or non-fiction, needs to follow a sensible structure and there are differences between books, and in the world of digital publishing best practice is still evolving.

For example, in a print book there are sections that would traditionally be in the front, such as, achknowledgements, list of other books by the author, etc.

However, in an eBook it's better to put these in the back. 

This is bacasue when people go to 'look inside' the book on Amazon, they want to read the book! 

There's nothing more infuriating than not being able to read any actual book content! 

You really don't want to infuriate people before they buy - they'll never be a customer if you do!

I've put together this handy infographic for anyone planning a book. 

It gives you a sense of how to structure it and where to put things.

When you write the first draft, don't get too hung up on the order of things and what should be where - writing a book does not have to be a linear process. 

The most important thing is to just write. 

Get the words out of your brain, just as they come, then chop, change a rearrange later.

 
Happy writing!

10 Tips for Beginner Writers

Today, I'm proud to host a guest on the blog, Rachel Summers.

Rachel pitched an idea for an article to me. I'm always happy to welcome guests PITCH HERE.

Even as a published author, there are some great tips in Rachel's article, especially for those days when you just can't seem to find the writing mojo...

10 Tips for Beginner Writers

 

Starting out a career in writing, or just looking to expand on your skills? You can improve your skills quite significantly by learning from the experts, and taking on board some of these simple tips.

1. Be Concise

The title for this tip could have been ‘Don’t spend too much time explaining yourself’. Instead, it is ‘be concise’. By ensuring that you use only the words necessary to fully explain your point, you can keep your reader’s interest for longer. Be concise in your wording, but don’t miss out important points either. 

2. Be an Editor

On some days, writing can be daunting. On the days that you don’t feel like writing, use that time to be your own editor. Spend time going over content you have already produced, checking your spelling and grammar, and seeing if there is anywhere you can simplify what you have written.

3. Have Patience

Writing something you are really proud of isn’t always instant. While the learning process will allow you to write better content, quicker, you will still have to be patient during the writing process. It make take a couple of attempts before you get the piece you imagined, and it could take quite some time editing. This is advice you can obtain from a wide range of writing specialists, including Goins Writer.

4. Write for Yourself

A piece of advice that many people question, is to write for yourself. Even when you are writing for an audience, writing for yourself has a number of benefits. You will become more honest, more open and more thorough in what you write. You won’t need to lie or exaggerate, and you will develop a style that is uniquely you. When you stop worrying too much about the audience and focus instead on writing quality content that portrays the right message, you become a better writer. Writers over at Writer’s Digest swear by this method.

5. Disconnect

Disconnect yourself from social media. That means logging off Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t let these notifications distract you as you are writing, as even just five minutes away from writing puts you in a different headspace and takes you out of your ‘zone’.

6. Create a Workspace

Rather than writing from bed, or in your favorite chair, set up a workspace that is dedicated only to writing. When you enter your workspace, log off your social media and enter the ‘zone’. Writers over at UK Top Writers will tell you just how important this is to write quality content.

7. Read

Someone who doesn’t read will find it difficult to become an exceptional writer. Read the books and articles of people you admire and who you aspire to write like.

8. Practice Your Summaries

When writing a longer piece, it’s important to summarize your points so that you can take readers through a complex journey. Practice your summaries, by writing summaries for shorter pieces, and not publishing them.

9. The Three Ps

The three Ps are ‘patience, purpose and perseverance’. Always remember that patience and perseverance are necessary for you to create good content, but your writing must also have a clear purpose. If a reader is unsure of what you are trying to say and why, they will become disinterested and stop reading.

10. Manage Your Time

It’s important to manage your time and create schedules that you stick to. If you don’t stick to your schedule, you will find yourself missing deadlines or simply taking longer than you need to. Time management is a big part of being a writer.

Bio:

Rachel J Summers is an experience local newspaper reporter and journalist with a passion for truth and great writing. She also works at UK Top Writers, and has years of experience as a freelance writer and editor. You can find her on Twitter at @RachelJSummers.

A big thank you to Rachel for contributing!