Four Writing Commandments
Writing Habit Instructions for Overwhelmed Writers
First:
STOP. Correcting. While. Writing.
Writing and editing are two different activities that need to different mindsets and mixing them up is a sure method for a disaster.
Second:
DON’T. Research. While. Writing.
Again, those are different activities and research will interrupt and disturb your writing. Set a separate time for a research and never mix the two.
Third:
It’s best to have an outline of even the shortest piece.
In fact many times when I prepare a blog post or Quora answer, I first brainstorm a few sentences that will outline my content and then write. I never try to write something bigger ( >1,000 words article or a book) without an outline.
Fourth:
The best time to write (and any other deep work) is in the morning.
You have the most energy, willpower and the least interruptions. I encourage you to wake up earlier if necessary and dedicate a chunk of your early morning to write.