The would-be writer has come to the realization that he or she is not getting any younger and that the novel they have always wanted to write won’t write itself. So one night they sit down in front of the laptop or with a pencil and a notebook to begin laying the foundation of what will surely become a runaway story. But before the writer knows it, that drive to write has been replaced with a yearning to watch American Idol, he or she hasn’t touched the rough draft in three weeks, and they figure it is all okay because the plot that was supposed to be golden is now full of inconsistencies and holes anyway.
If the above sounds depressing, it’s because it’s true. Far too many would-be-great writers lose steam when the pressures of life pervade the goal of becoming the next J.K. Rowling. But here are some helpful hints to staying the course:
Time Management
Managing how and when one is going to write is the biggest key to actually writing a story. Most beginning writers believe they can type out a 300-page novel and still maintain a “normal” life. If someone is going to write anything larger than a short story or a poem then he or she will have to give something up - perhaps Monday Night Football with the fellas, coffee with a women’s book club, or following their favorite TV drama on a weekly basis.
Block off certain sections of time as writing time and make them nonnegotiable. If one is to become a writer. that person absolutely must stand firm on this point because it is virtually guaranteed that as soon as they begin this new endeavor, the boss will ask them to stay late at work or old friends from high school will appear out of the blue wanting to have dinner.
Accountability
Ever wondered why it seems so simple to meet the week’s work and social obligations, but finding one evening to sit down and write is nearly impossible? The difference is incentive and community. The job environment entices compliance through a weekly payment and one's attendance at social functions is rewarded by fellowship.
Writing in the very beginning can be a lonely venture without reward, but it does not have to be. A starting writer should find a friend who supports their plan to become a writer and will hold them to it. Perhaps he or she may even join by writing a book of their own. Just as runners jog with a running buddy, the beginning writer needs that discipline of a companion at his or her side. To give the donkey’s proverbial stick a carrot, one might consider having a friend (a very trustworthy friend) pay them. Say, for example, the book is going to have ten chapters. The new writer could give the accountability partner $100, and have that person agree to pay them $10 back for each chapter completed.
Finally, for the go-big-or-go-home crowd, one could even join National Novel Writing Month or NANOWRIMO. NANOWRIMO is an online commitment that challenges its participants to complete a manuscript of 50,000 words, or roughly 175 pages, in 30 days from November 1st to November 30th. Their website offers several tools for writers to complete the job such as breaking the task into daily word quotas.
Now that the taks has begun, here are two more tips for finishing the journey.
Source: No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty
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