Productivity is hard. No two ways about it. The prolific, Brandon Sanderson-esque writer is a rare gem. For most of us, writing—the thing we love to do—is like pulling teeth. How do you self-administer the kick in the rear that gets you back on track?

Recommended Reading:

• James Clear’s Newsletter

Prompt:

The next time you sit down to write, keep a journal (or its digital equivalent) by you and take note of everything you do that is not writing words on the page. When you hit a wall, what is it that you do? Try to learn from it. Keep your “distractions and habits” notebook with you everywhere you write, and consider how you can avoid those distractions.

 

Download episode 2.04.

A recent piece in the New York Times stated that quitting social media can help your career. Many writers rely heavily on social media to spread their personal brand. Thing is: does it really work? Or is it a distraction?

Recommendation:

Craig’s recommendation for social networks and tools:

“For a writer, I recommend Twitter — it’s quicker and easier to make connections with people, even if it’s like every second person on Twitter is a writer.  (Facebook is a little harder to network unless you’re a big name already.)

For tools to use with social media, I recommend Tweepi to help manage Twitter following and unfollowing.  The goal is to follow people who follow accounts like yours… then after a week, unfollow those who didn’t follow back.  You’ll attract a lot of spam, yes, but you’ll also snag a lot of genuine readers.”

Prompt:

Try to take a full day off of social media. (We know it’s hard). How does your day change? Are you able to write? Do you feel anxious? What did you find yourself doing instead of spending time on social media? If you feel so inclined, take a note every time you are tempted to check social media.  

 

Download episode 2.03.

Has every story been told? There are those who believe that, essentially, that is the case. (Because of the Hero’s Journey.) If it’s true, why tell your own story? Because even if it’s been told before, it hasn’t been told your way.

Recommended Reading:

• Storyteller – Kate Wilhelm

Prompt:

Make a list of all the movies you can remember seeing. Then try to organize that list based on things they have in common. Pay attention to what you reacted to. Are there patterns? Pay especial attention to ones that made you cry, or get angry, or feel amazed or stirred, and exactly what was it that did that? Finally, think about the stories you’ve written or want to write — are you telling the story that really aligns with the stories you value?

 

Download episode 2.02.

There are times when editing can strip the unique voice of a story or character. Where is the line? Is there a definitive, identifiable moment wherein it’s right/wrong to edit out voice?

Recommended Reading:

• Story Trumps Structure – Steven James

Prompt:

Consider your favorite character from a recent book you read. What about the writing made that character stand out? When you read a line of dialogue from them, or a chapter from their perspective, would you be able to tell it was them without character attribution? Take one moment and comb over it closely—try to look at word choice, sentence length and structure, and other things that give you the essence of that character.

 

Download episode 2.01.