WRITING TIPS | PRODUCTIVITY
New Writers — Write Less (if You Want to Succeed)
How sometimes writing less can increase your productivity.
The most popular writing advice for new writers is to write a lot. Every day, in fact. Don’t get me wrong — it’s great advice. Especially if you’re at the beginning of your writing journey.
But writing every day isn’t always the solution.
Being productive doesn’t mean (only) writing more. It means increasing your progress towards achieving your goals. It means taking one step after the other, always moving forward instead of backwards.
Here are three ways why sometimes you should write less, and what and how to do instead.
It will defeat procrastination
Sometimes we look for every excuse to not write. We’re not in the mood so we scroll through social media. We fall into the watching-only-one-episode trap. We stall and stall and let procrastination dictate our behavior. And its results.
Forcing yourself to write isn’t going to defeat procrastination because another excuse will pop up. In that case, writing less can actually increase your productivity.
If you want to maintain progress but aren’t in the mood to write, live by the Two Minutes Rule. This rule means that you can do everything that lasts up to two minutes as long as it moves you forward:
- Outline a future post — Choose an engaging headline, a picture and subheadings. Write what this article is going to cover in bullet points.
- Build a work plan — It could be a detailed weekly publication plan or a monthly reading or editing plan. It all depends on your goals.
- Edit — It could be a paragraph or two, whatever you manage to fit in two minutes.
Living by the Two Minutes Rule gives you time to get back into a writing mood while moving a step forward towards achieving your goals. Whenever procrastination strikes again, halt for two minutes, but instead of forcing yourself to write, maintain progress.
It will send a clearer message
The Write A Lot Rule can get new writers into a writing frenzy. We aim to write, write, then write some more without having a clear idea in mind. Without knowing where we rush off to.
The truth is, writing without a goal in mind conveys nothing to the reader. Instead of sending a clear message, in your frenzy to keep on writing, you’ve left the most important thing out — the value you’re offering.
Next time you’re in a hurry to write, stop and plan ahead. I like to use apps that help me plan better:
- The Medium app — I use Medium drafts to write down ideas, organize my weekly publication plan, and outline future projects.
- ChatGPT — I like to use it to build editing plans based on my schedule and goals.
These are two of my favorite apps to use, though I’m sure there are plenty more. The bottom line — sort out the jumble of thoughts in your head before rushing to put words on the page. It will highlight your post’s value and send a vivid message to your readers.
It will increase your productivity in the long run
You can’t succeed without learning. You may have the recipe to achieve your goals but you’ve entered the Mistake Loop. You keep repeating the same methods and mistakes yet expect a different result.
If you want to move forward, take a break from writing and analyze your methods. Test the waters and see what works best for you. Find your system to succeed. Then readjust.
As I mentioned before, I found a few programs that help me increase productivity. I like to take a break every now and then and plan ahead. Outline. Research new topics and exciting ideas.
Once you analyze your schedule and different methods, you will find the system that will boost your productivity in the long term. It may take you some time to find it — a few weeks, maybe even months.
But eventually, it will be worth it.
Wrapping up
Writing has long since become more than typing letters out. If you want to be a great writer you have to change your mindset. Outline and plan ahead. Edit your work to hone your message. Look for the tools that help you polish your writing skills.
True, when you’re researching, reading, studying the craft, editing or outlining you’re breaking the Write A Lot Rule. Spectacularly. But all these processes are pieces in a puzzle. They’re an inherent part of writing.
And they are the ones that will eventually bring you one step closer towards fulfilling your dreams.
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Until next time.
