Increase Writing Productivity with Friction

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In her 2019 book, Good Habits, Bag Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes Stick, social psychologist Wendy Wood discussed how she used experience sampling to discover that 43% of our daily actions are habitual. Wood believes that the key to changing habits is to modify our environment to create or remove "friction," which makes the old way of doing things less desirable than the new way. 

So, how could that work in our writing world? 

Example One: Remove friction by focusing on writing.

You sit down for 30 minutes to write. You come to a place in the chapter where you must describe a clothing item from the 1900s, but you need a visual aid.

Old Habit: Hop on the internet and research that item.

You look up half an hour later, because you know we often get lost in research, and notice you've used all your writing time.

New Habit: Type a reminder of what you need to research inside a set of brackets and highlight it so you can find it easier when you have time for research. 

Example Two: Remove friction by reducing distractions.  

You get up an hour early to write before the kids get up. 

Old Habit: Sit down at your desk and quickly check your email (so that is out of the way for later). 

Checking email then leads to looking at your notifications, checking the weather, etc. By the time you finish up, you hear the little one across the hall stirring, so writing time is done. 

New Habit: Take a pad and paper or a device in airplane mode to a quiet spot and use a timer so you write until you hear the chime. 

Example Three: Create friction by making it harder to snack so it doesn't reduce your energy levels.

Since you enjoy snacking while you write, you have some snacks on the nearby filing cabinet. 

Old Habit: Snack while writing and soon notice your energy levels waning.

New Habit: Keep snacks out of your writing space and write using a timer or by setting a specific word count so you don't snack until you're done.

What are some ways you can create or remove friction in your environment to increase productivity?

 

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and award-winning editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A blogger and book reviewer, she is a member of SCBWI and lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three adult children. Visit Cheryl's website at https://ccmalandrinos.com or her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com

First Quarter Writing Goals Review

It's hard to believe the first quarter of 2024 is almost done. At the beginning of the year, you set your writing goals. Now, it's time to reflect on how you did. Some questions to ask yourself are:

• What did I accomplish?
• How did I handle the obstacles that came my way?
• Are there tasks carrying over into the next quarter?

I also find it helpful to ask the following question: If I had a magic wand, what would my writing life look like? 

Why a magic wand? Because magic wands summon infinite powers. They unleash possibilities. 

Pretend that you're Cinderella toiling away day after day just wishing and hoping for that one thing. Suddenly, Fairy Godmother appears, and she will grant you the one wish you want most. Poof! You are living your dream writing life.

Sometimes, we allow our routines, obstacles, and bad habits to keep us from what we want most. However, if we can imagine it, we can create it. How? By focusing on that one thing. 

As we proceed through the year, we will talk more about this topic. You have the power to make your dreams come true!

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and award-winning editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A blogger and book reviewer, she is a member of SCBWI and lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three adult children. Visit Cheryl's website at https://ccmalandrinos.com or her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com

Productive Ways to Take A Break from Writing

 

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The year has just started. How can we be talking about a break already?

The seasons of a writer's life don't always follow the calendar. Maybe last year you cranked out a bunch and just need to sit back and relax for a week or two. Maybe your non-writing life is temporarily pulling you in a different direction. 

No matter the reason or length of the time, there are ways to be productive during a writing break.

Self-care 

Some writers are fitting writing into their schedules while balancing another career. Burn out and physical exhaustion become all too real. When you are that tapped out, creativity suffers. Taking care of yourself during those periods will refresh and rejuvenate you. Here are some self-care ideas:

• Schedule a monthly massage
• Take a yoga class
• Engage in 10-minute workouts
• Take a vacation or go away for a weekend 

Fill your creative well

Creativity is a strange. Some days, it's like spending time with your best friend at the playground. Everything clicks. You have fun together. You enjoy each other's company. You don't seem to have enough hours to accomplish all you want to. Then there are other days when creativity grabs its ball and storms off the field to go hide, and no matter how you try to coax it out, there is no way it is coming to play. Here are some ideas to fill your creative well:

• Get together with a fellow writer 
• Explore a new hobby
• Change your routine
• Visit a museum or art gallery for inspiration

Write something else

Last year, I wrote a novel in a genre I had never explored as a writer. It was the most exhilarating experience. It inspired me to apply what I learned to a work in progress that had stalled. These are some other ideas:

• Try your hand at fanfiction
• Explore journaling
• Start a blog
• Create an author newsletter

Taking a break from writing doesn't mean giving it up forever. It doesn't mean you've failed. Taking a break means you realize you need to step back temporarily. Using that time productively will allow you to return to your writing with a stronger zest to accomplish your goals. 

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and award-winning editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A blogger and book reviewer, she is a member of SCBWI and lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three adult children. Visit Cheryl's website at https://ccmalandrinos.com or her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com

Reflecting on Your Writing Year

 

Every year about this time, I get to thinking about my writing year. 

• How did I do?
• What did I accomplish?
• How did I handle the obstacles that came my way?
• Are there tasks I am carrying over into the new year?

Such a reflection allows you to celebrate the milestones and identify areas for improvement. Whether you make a bulleted list, write a letter to yourself, or post an entry in your journal, reflective writing will move you forward as a new year begins. 

What are some of last year's writing accomplishments you are proud of? What is a goal you are setting for 2024? 

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and award-winning editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A blogger and book reviewer, she is a member of SCBWI and lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three adult children. Visit Cheryl's website at https://ccmalandrinos.com or her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com

Happy New Year!: Writing Resolutions for 2024

 

The new year is almost here. Maybe you're contemplating your new year's resolutions right now. Many of us set the usual ones: eat healthier, exercise more, reduce stress. It is also a good time to consider your writing resolutions. Though you can do this any time throughout the year, January often inspires and motivates us. 

Here are some resolutions for writers:

Read More

Reading is a more fun way of saying market research. Read, especially in the genre you write, so you can learn what is selling well in your genre and where your book would fit into the market. This will also allow you to check out book covers and titles and how these books are marketed. While there is more to market research than this, reading more books is a good start.

Create a Regular Writing Schedule

Creating a regular writing schedule encourages the discipline of writing. If it didn't work, why would NaNoWriMo be so popular? The reason I don't say create a daily writing schedule is because that might not be realistic for everyone. But, whether you have one day, three days, or seven days available to write each week, sticking to your schedule will encourage you to write more.

Find an Accountability Partner

Often called writing buddies, these fellow writers keep us accountable and help us reach our goals. When I joined a local writing group, we were expected to bring a chapter with us to read each meeting. No one wanted to be the person without a chapter. Regular check-ins with your accountability partner will keep you on track.

What are some writing resolutions you are setting for 2024? How are you planning to succeed in the new year?

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and award-winning editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A blogger and book reviewer, she is a member of SCBWI and lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three adult children. Visit Cheryl's website at https://ccmalandrinos.com or her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com

Creating A Startup or Business Plan for Your Writing Career

 

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If you decided to start a small business, one of the initial steps would be to create a detailed business plan that would include the business concept, product and services, marketing, operations, organization and management, financial planning, and industry growth. 

So, why do so many writers skip this important aspect of starting and planning a writing career? 

In order for any business to succeed, there has to be a written plan. Now, that plan can change over time, but few entrepreneurs succeed by treating their businesses like a pot of spaghetti cooking on the stove: throwing a noodle at the wall to see if it sticks. 

The startup plan is a trimmer version of a business plan. Since a writing business may be simpler in nature than other types of businesses--at least in terms of what needs to be considered--this approach might be helpful. 

A startup plan will include:

• Goals - S.M.A.R.T. goals to provide direction and motivation
• Resources - capital, technology, personnel, and time
• Market analysis - knowing your target market and how to reach them
• Competition analysis - understanding your competition and how to set yourself apart
• Financials - money needed to start, projected income, and projected expenses

Even if you are well into your writing career and want to increase your income potential, a streamlined plan could be helpful. 

Now is the perfect time to put together your 2024 business or startup plan. You can find a multitude of examples and some free templates online to help. 

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and award-winning editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A blogger and book reviewer, she is a member of SCBWI and lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three adult children. Visit Cheryl's website at https://ccmalandrinos.com or her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com

NaNoWriMo Lessons

 

NaNoWriMo is nearly 75% over. Shocking how quickly time goes by. How are you doing with your writing? Did you decide to participate? Did you plot it out or come up with an idea and run with it? 

Admittedly, I've never been a huge fan, but there is so much to gain if you commit to writing for thirty days. 

Planning 

Maybe some writers can have an idea in their heads and run with it. I'm not sure there are many of those out there who are successful. After all these years of being a total panster, I've discovered sometimes you need more than just the idea or a few character sketches.

This year's approach involved following a process of creating a synopsis, scene settings, a list of characters and their story arcs; outlining the plot, subplots, and inciting incidents; and then developing numerous scenes, so that when writing began, the words flowed easier.

Discipline

It can take an average of 30 to 60 days to change a bad habit, and longer than two months to create a habit. When you have only 30 days to reach 50,000 words, you need to hit 1,667 daily or be willing to make up the gap the next day. 

Daily writing has numerous benefits. It helped me write faster than ever before, even if I am still slower than I would like. Other known benefits include:

• Becoming more aware of overused words and phrases
• Learning what your writing style is
• Giving you a sense of accomplishment
• Potentially making you more money

Community

Writing can be a solitary task. Critique groups serve their purpose, but with NaNoWriMo you can have buddies to cheer you on. This is something I encourage you to find even after NaNoWriMo is over. 

Whether you participated this year or not, here's hoping you are developing a plan to increase your productivity in 2024 with daily writing. 

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and award-winning editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A blogger and book reviewer, she is a member of SCBWI and lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three adult children. Visit Cheryl's website at https://ccmalandrinos.com or her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com