Twelve Secrets of Highly Productive Writers

In this Chronicle of Higher Education article, Rachel Toor (Eastern Washington University) lists the practices of successful academic writers, many of which apply to K-12 students and educators who are aspiring authors:

• They reject the notion of “writer’s block.” “[I]t’s a lot easier to say that the muse has gone AWOL than to admit that writing is hard and requires discipline and sacrifice,” says Toor. “Productive writers don’t reach for excuses when the going gets hard. They treat writing like the job it is. They show up, punch the clock, and punch out. Nothing romantic about it.” Some writers push themselves by establishing deadlines, aiming for a certain number of butt-in-chair hours per day, or producing a specific number of words. 

• They don’t over-talk their work. It’s embarrassing to have blabbed a lot about a piece and then have to abandon it, says Toor. She favors a more low-key approach, making solid progress and then sharing it with others. 

• They believe in themselves and their work. “If you second-guess every step, you’ll soon be going backward,” she says. “You have to believe it’s your job to be productive and to feel bad if you’re not.” 

• They know that a lot of important work happens “offline.” Writers find that even when they’re asleep, chatting with friends, or walking the dog, their brain is working and solutions will eventually emerge.

• They’re passionate about their projects. Sometimes things seem to take forever and the details are a drag, but it’s important to keep the original enthusiasm in mind.

• They know they’re good at it. “The best writing is a conversation between author and reader,” says Toor. Writers need to be themselves and believe in what they’re doing. 

• They read a lot, and widely. “Reading becomes a get-psyched activity for writing,” she says. Writers should read for fun, pay attention to craft, and borrow tricks and moves from authors they enjoy. 

• They know how to finish a draft. “As with relationships, beginnings are exciting and easy, full of hope and promise,” says Nichols. “Middles can get comfortable… But then many of us hit a wall… we crash into stuckness. Productive authors know that they have to keep going through the hard parts and finish a complete draft.” Then they have something to work with.

• They work on more than one thing at once. “Some pieces need time to smolder,” says Toor. “Leaving them to turn to something short and manageable makes it easier to go back to the big thing.” 

• They leave off at a point where it will be easy to get started again. One trick is to stop the day’s writing in mid-sentence. 

• They don’t let themselves off the hook. Work avoidance begins with a series of “If only…” statements. “You have time only if you make it a priority,” says Toor. “Productive writers don’t allow themselves the indulgence of easy excuses. When they start to have feelings of self-doubt – I can’t do this, it’s too hard, I’ll never write another good sentence – they tell themselves to stop feeling sorry for themselves and just do the work.” 

• They know there are no shortcuts, magic bullets, special exercises, or incantations. “There are no tricks to make it easier,” Toor concludes, “just habits and practices you can develop to get it done.” 

“The Habits of Highly Productive Writers” by Rachel Toor in The Chronicle of Higher Education, November 21, 2014 (Vol. LXI, #12, p. A24-25), 

http://racheltoor.com/the-habits-of-highly-productive-writers/

From the Marshall Memo #562