Braggy title, I know. But may my arrogance be your saving grace. Here's some quick strategies that have been working for me - I hope one or more of them can work for you too <3
1. I Don't Start at the Beginning
Sometimes when I sit down to do my pages, it's a grind. The words just don't flow, and I find I'm struggling. So rather than labour through it, I skip to the middle of the scene. I skip to a juicy conversation that I'm excited to write. I skip to the climax of the chapter. And I write that. Then, once I'm in the zone, I go back to the beginning and write an intro that will link them up.
2. I Don't Write Too Much
As in, I don't overdo it. Some of my friends have days where they get swept away and write all through the day and night, and then they're burned out for a few days after. That doesn't work for me. I set a time-based goal that I know I can achieve, and I write for that amount of time, every work day. No exceptions. Some days when my timer is up, I feel like I want to keep writing. Usually, I stop anyway. Some writers find it disruptive to interrupt their flow state, but I find I work best when I stick to my times. Stopping in a juicy section means I'm excited to get to my computer to write the next day!
Don't be scared to stop in the middle of a scene. Write your future self a little note to help you pick up where you left off the next day. You will hit the ground running as soon as you open your laptop the next day.
3. I Build Things Into My Day That Will Help My Writing
Some day, I'll post my full routine. Until then, just know that everything that I schedule into my writing days, is there to facilitate my writing. I know I won't do my best work if I force myself to sit at my computer all day, struggling to squeeze the words out. So instead, I build walks (with no music or podcasts to distract me), reading, and regular meal breaks into my schedule. This means that when it's actually time to write, I am ready to WORK!
4. Sometimes I Think What I'm Writing is Trash. I Write It Anyway.
Some of it IS trash. That's OK. It's never a waste to write something, even if you delete it. Every time you write, you are honing your craft. Mistakes are good. Mistakes are better than a blank screen. Sometimes I write a thousand words of what I think is utter garbage, but then when I read it back, there is something to salvage. Or sometimes I end up deleting the whole thing in the edit. It doesn't matter, as long as I'm hitting my work targets. I promise you, it feels much better to delete something that you worked on for hours than it does to stare at a blank screen, unable to write, because you feel like what you're doing isn't good enough. Your editing eye is helpful, in editing time - but in writing time, it crushes creativity. Ignore it. Stop judging yourself. Write anyway.
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