So, another week has almost gone by, you haven’t gotten any writing done and you’re really frustrated with yourself. Yes, we’ve all been there.
You need to clear the deck. In other words, remove all possible distractions. This is why you sometimes hear about writers going on a retreat for a week or two and leaving their phone home. But you can create a similar vibe wherever you are.
The key is to do three things.
A) Remove all distractions. Turn off the phone. Do not check emails. Do not take any calls. Tell the kids when mommy’s door is closed, that means she is not to be disturbed.
B) Get the environment right. Write early in the morning or late at night if you like quiet. Get a nice set of noise-cancelling headphones if you like tunes while you write.
C) Do not get up until the time you have allocated to writing is up. Then sit your butt down and do not move for 2-3 hours.
Of course, clearing the deck doesn’t guarantee productivity. So here are two quick hacks.
If you’re doing a rewrite and having trouble re-immersing into that world, just start by carefully rereading the script. You’ll find the joy of creation sets in again as you refresh yourself in this universe, rather than going in cold.
And if you’re starting something new, which can be intimidating as hell, start by just scribbling down random ideas. Ideas for a line, a funny bit, whatever. Expand as necessary. Start writing character bios and go long. All this will help get those juices flowing again and grease the wheels, so that when you do start breaking the outline, you’ll already have some solid ideas, rather than going in cold.
And if you need a bit more motivation to get those pages done, check out “It’s the Journey, Not the Destination” and “Keep Your Representation” as well as many other motivational articles on our blog.
