When you started writing, it was probably in a haphazard, spontaneous kind of way. You write whatever you want and whenever you want to. If you think back to those times, you’ll likely remember that you rarely polished any piece, much less finish it.
It’s something a lot of writers struggle with at the start. But writing solely by inspiration isn’t sustainable. Most often, the path to becoming a better writer is by making it a habit and start laying down your writing plan.
What Is a Writing Plan?
A writing plan is simply something you follow during your writing process. It’s meant to give yourself a set of goals to reach and the means to reach them, whether long-term or short-term. Because when motivation fails you, having a map towards completing your work won’t.
It may be as simple as this:
- Complete a blog article today.
- Write from 10 am until 1 pm.
- Write a minimum of 1000 words.
- Add relevant links.
- Schedule on the blog.
Every successful writer has some kind of plan. Some of them create extremely detailed ones that they rigorously follow. Others have loose guidelines that have flexible targets. The fact is, none of them just simply start typing away on their keyboard with nothing more than an idea.
That kind of discipline will help you avoid wasting time, identify critical issues, and make your goals reasonable and attainable. All of which will help you from having to make extensive rewrites.
Writing Plan Tips
No two writers will have the same writing plan. It will all depend on your level of skills, what you want to accomplish, and how much time you can dedicate. Here are some tips that writers of any type can use in creating their writing plan:
1. List down your goals.
What do you want to do? Is it to finish a book and get it published? Or maybe make a website and start your own blog? Do you want to write full-time or just as a sideline? This is you defining what success will look like.
But don’t just focus on the grand scheme of things. Add specific, short-term goals that you can finish within days or weeks.
“Write 2000 words a week” is far less intimidating than “Write a novel this year.” Sure, it’s a lower goal but it’s also much more doable. And when you accomplish it, you feel good because you see progress. It makes you excited to write more.
It’s a simple concept of divide and conquer. Take a single, monolithic goal and split it up into smaller, measurable goals that you can finish in a day, a week, or a month.
2. Establish a schedule.
Pick a time to write and stick to it. Because if you keep thinking that “you’ll write when you have time”, you’ll never get things done.
When your writing time becomes a regular part of your schedule, getting into the zone becomes easier. You’ll be surprised at how much you’ve already done.
As to how much time you’ll need to spend writing? It really depends on you. A solid two hours a day is recommended but sometimes other commitments stop you from doing that. You could start with 30 minutes per day and slowly expand that as you progress further.
Writing every day is also recommended but if you can’t, then establish particular days where you will write. The important thing is to establish momentum and keep rolling with it.
And keep in mind that writing is mentally taxing. Be realistic on your writing schedule as there comes a point where you can no longer write effectively. Trying to push through will only give you more work to revise later on.
3. Find a place to write and protect it.
In a perfect world, it’ll be easy to find a place conducive to writing. But with all the chaos going on in the world, it’s almost impossible for some writers to find theirs.
So when you do find a place that makes you want to write, protect it. If it’s at home, tell your family not to disturb you when you’re writing. Close the door, lock it, and put a Do Not Disturb sign on it. Writing needs focus and you won’t be able to do it if you get interrupted every few minutes.
Make this place as disturbance-free as you can. That means keeping it clean, comfortable, and quiet. If there’s a lot of noise going on, consider using noise-canceling headphones when writing.
Having a place where you can concentrate on writing means you’re able to follow your writing schedule, which keeps you on track with reaching your goals.
4. Keep yourself accountable.
A little bit of pressure motivates you into following the plan you set. Deadlines are a great way to do so as they force you into action and keep you accountable.
Your deadlines will depend on the pace you want to set. If you’re trying to finish a novel in a year, writing a chapter per week might be the minimum. Don’t want it so hectic? Do a chapter every two weeks instead.
Keeping track of your word count is also effective. You ensure that you’re meeting your minimum word quota and maybe pushing for more.
Find a community that holds each other accountable. Not only do people check on your progress but also actively encourage you to meet your deadlines and quotas.
Also, it’s not necessary to punish yourself if you don’t meet a deadline or your quota. Instead, focus on the reasons why you failed and adjust your plan accordingly.
And of course, if punishments are on the table, so should rewards. Whether it’s treating yourself to a lunch out or adding a gold start to a calendar, acknowledge that you have reached your goals.
5. Build in some flexibility.
Don’t be so rigid that everything falls apart when you fail to follow a part of your writing plan. This is why you need to keep your goals realistic, measurable, and attainable in the first place.
Pushing yourself to accomplish something that can’t be done in the timeframe you set is already a lost battle. Not only are you not able to finish it, but the process also leaves you exhausted and discouraged.
So make sure that you stick to the plan but not too rigidly. If a single missed deadline leaves you unable to reach the goal, revise your plan to accommodate some delays. It’s all part of being human.
Creating a Plan for Writing
Not every project needs an extensive writing plan. For example, when doing blogs, it can be enough to set how many articles or words you meet per day and what time you need to write them.
But for longer projects, you might have to create an exhaustive plan by necessity. The more you’ve set your goals and the steps you need to achieve them from the start, the less work you’ll have to do at the end.
See, it’s hard to think of large, overarching goals consistently. That’s why breaking them up into measurable chunks can be a better way to organize your writing.
Now, don’t limit yourself to writing a plan that follows the tips above. There is no right method for writing, only the method that works for you.
The tips posted above are only common strategies that a lot of writers have discovered to be useful. Some of them might not work for you, so feel free to exchange them for something that does.
How do you create your writing plan? Share them in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- 9 of Stephen King’s Writing Tips For the Aspiring Writer
- 11 Writing Tips for Improving Readability and Communicating Better
- 8 Tips and Strategies for Better Persuasive Writing
- How to Start Writing: 10 Tips to Help You Seize the Day
Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
