The Ultimate Guide to Productivity

The Ultimate Guide to Productivity

Just kidding.

Every man, his wife, and his dog who's ever aspired to be a writer seems to have their two pennies' worth to say on the subject of writing. Some of it is great, and I've learned far more than I ever thought I needed to. Some of it is mediocre at best and I can only think the writers themselves could do with a little more research, study, and practice. And some of it should never have been committed to the page, let alone inflicted upon an unsuspecting world.

Yes, this is a little rant. Blame it on the weather (cold), frustration (things aren't currently going quite according to plan), or even on one of the alters (always entirely possible). You don't have to read it or comment on it, or do. It's up to you. I'm simply venting that there are times when I'm drawn in by a title that gives the impression I might learn something of genuine value and, by the time I've reached the conclusion of whatever I've read (or watched, say, on YT, for that matter), I'm left thinking to myself that I will never get those precious (wasted) moments back again. 

I know. If you're reading this, you might well be asking, 'What subjects are you specifically referring to?' The most common one for me involves productivity and it's probably because this is my sore point. I think we're more likely to be triggered by the subjects which hit closest to home.

In this respect, I very much doubt I'm alone. I'm hardly going to be the only one struggling to get the words on the page, regardless of the ideas churning in my head or the overwhelming desire to eventually achieve that coveted End page. Instead, I spend my days in an endlessly repeating cycle of procrastination, brain fog, self-doubt, and paranoia. 

Despite what the multitudes of writing gurus would have you believe: there is no quick or guaranteed fix and pushing yourself to write to a schedule (every morning before the first sparrow chirps) or to a target (2000 words before you're allowed your first coffee) or to a deadline (you must finish this chapter before lunch) isn't going to miraculously cure you.

Okay, sure, it works for some people. For some people, these tips and tricks work perfectly well. And, I concede, the writers of these self-help pieces are very careful about leaving their advice open-ended. After all, it wouldn't do to blame them if their advice doesn't work.  

In my humble, personal opinion, and for what it's worth, you're going to have to find your own way to get your writing done, and, to be frank, if you want it badly enough, you'll find a way.

Sure, it helps if you grant yourself a specific writing time and it helps if you have a dedicated cozy, quiet writing space. But you don't need either. 

I wrote the better part of my first ever completed novel while working as a Corrections Officer, on night shifts, between rounds and filing. No device, in a notebook, whenever I had a spare moment. I made it happen, because I wanted to. The truth is; you have kids, a job, a home, and people to care for. You have responsibilities. That's life and very few of us have the freedom to simply do what we want, when we want, without restraint. 

BUT, if you want it badly enough ...

Write. A few words here. A few words there. Notes, ideas, lines, paragraphs. Write between the vacuuming and the washing. Write in coffee breaks, on a train, on a bus, on an airplane. It doesn't matter when or where or how. Just write.

That is productivity. That is desire. That is the words simply NEEDING to reach the page. And that constitutes success.

So, what are you waiting for? If your story is simply ITCHING to be told, get on and write it. You don't need me or anybody else to tell you when or how, just do it.

Maybe you've read this far and you're now thinking those same thoughts: these are precious moments I'll never have back. Maybe I'm full of sh*t. Maybe. And then again, maybe, just maybe, this is all the encouragement you need to pick up a pencil, a pen, or a keyboard and . . . get writing. I sincerely hope it's the latter.

To all of you; Happy writing!