10 Techniques for Writing Through Chaos
Turn writing obstacles into opportunities for growth
You may have heard that now is a great time to be a writer. Countless hours indoors devoid of social obligations — isn’t that a writer’s dream? Hypothetically, maybe. But when chaos wreaks havoc on a writer’s life, it hinders the writing process. How can we push past our hurdles to find the focus and inspiration to write? Here are a few ideas.
1. Timed writings
Timed writings can override a writer’s penchant for procrastination and are especially effective when you’re crunched for time. We can spend minutes staring at a blank page, but those minutes become seconds when a timer is running. It helps to start with an idea in mind. Try visualizing a scene or working from a prompt. Set your timer for 12 minutes (or 10, 20 — whatever you have). Write.
2. Write whatever comes
Maybe the writing that’s most important to you doesn’t come as easily now. Do the writing that will come. This may mean putting your novel aside and writing poetry, journaling, or sending letters to friends. It may mean altering your process — writing by hand or even on your phone in stolen moments. Embrace the experimentation that chaos can bring. Who knows how your writing may evolve as you give yourself the freedom to write whatever comes.
3. Mine your days for story-worthy moments
Do any lines of dialogue stand out from recent conversations? Did any moments, alone or with others, have a powerful effect on you? What insights have you arrived at recently? Have you read or heard anything that made you think deeply about a situation — deeply enough to sustain the idea through the course of a story? If so, go!
4. Mine your past
If the present feels too mundane or tedious, mine your past. What childhood experiences still resonate with you? What memories stand out as formative, life-altering, or especially meaningful? Write about the times you never want to forget. Write about what you wish you could forget.
5. Use your phone
If you find yourself unable to put down your phone, transform it into a writing tool. Think of it as an electronic writer’s notebook you keep with you at all times. When an idea, phrase, or image strikes you, record it. Start a running list of things that capture your attention. Or craft a thoughtful tweet. Don’t laugh! Embracing Twitter as a storytelling platform can help writers develop or sharpen their nano-fiction or micro-memoir writing chops. Check out Creative Nonfiction’s hashtag #cnftweet if you need a place to start.
6. Set achievable goals
If timed writings aren’t your thing, try setting a small, achievable goal. Instead of 500 words/day, aim for 250. Or 50. Once you immerse yourself in the act of writing, you may find it easier to push yourself beyond your goal. Reward yourself daily, even if your reward is a sticker on the calendar and your goal is to write anything at all. Having a visual means of tracking your progress will serve as motivation.
7. Find a writing partner
Reach out to people you know who may be interested in exchanging work: friends, colleagues, former classmates. Set a deadline ahead of time and hold each other accountable. Establishing a reader and a deadline for your work can provide the structure needed to push your project to completion. And providing feedback on your partner’s work will help you view your own with a more critical eye.
8. Collaborate
For a fun writing exercise, start an exquisite corpse with friends via email. Take turns writing a paragraph of a story or a line of a poem. This low-pressure form of storytelling can help keep the creative juices flowing while fostering a sense of connection. And when your piece is finished, you’ll have a memento forever marking this strange and challenging time.
9. Forgive yourself
If your writing is not up to your usual standards, if you’re not as productive as you’d like to be, if some days not a single word comes out, be kind to yourself, and try again tomorrow.
10. Prioritize your needs
Accept that sometimes, despite our best efforts, the words may not come. Trust that the words will return. In the meantime, eat that ice cream, dance to that song. Do whatever you can to make it through each day. And if you need to shelve your novel until you can approach it with the physical and mental space it deserves, your future self will have the benefit of seeing it with fresh eyes.
Our world is in chaos, and contrary to how it may appear, chaos does not lend itself to optimal writing conditions. When we yearn to write but it feels impossible, the only way forward may be to lean into the chaos. By experimenting with new techniques and adapting to alternative ways of creating, we further develop our skills as writers and artists.
Lastly, if there is one thing besides writing and reading that can make you a better writer, it’s life experience. Challenges deepen our empathy, and empathy deepens our creative work. When we one day emerge from this tumultuous time, we will have grown into people who see the world a bit differently, and that difference will inform how and what we write.
I look forward to reading your work, now and on the other side.
