With a great idea in mind and the right skills at hand, several authors feel more ready than ever to write a novel. However, many often complain of procrastinating or losing their zeal in the middle of writing their manuscript.
While every author wants to complete their manuscript effectively and timely, they find themselves unable to meet deadlines and dragging their tasks unnecessarily.
If you also find yourself to be stuck in the same vicious cycle, here are some of the best tips that can help you.
- Create a Fool-Proof Schedule
Every author understands the importance of a food-proof schedule. A schedule can help you stay organised in your thoughts and work to accomplish a complete task without violating your publishing guidelines.
Similarly, you cannot leave things to luck either. You also need a schedule that defines how many words you want to write in a day, week, or month.
This way, you can dedicate time slots in that given time frame to make steady but sure progress.
- Kill the Distractions
Whether you are unable to focus on writing because of a continuously pinging phone or the television noise from the other room, you must look for ways to eradicate this root cause instead of letting it define your writing journey.
Every author needs to find a quiet and cosy place to meet their deadlines and ensure quality in their work. Once you ensure that there are no distractions anymore, you can focus solely on maintaining your writing flow.
- Set Realistic Goals
As an author, you may have set goals based on your initial passion and enthusiasm for becoming a published author. You may even be able to keep up with these goals for some time, but they may prove themselves unreliable in the long run. You may lose motivation for writing altogether in the long run.
Before you let excitement get the best of you, it is better to sit back and view your schedule before finalising it. Ask yourself if this routine is realistic enough. If not, you must make the changes accordingly.
A reliable schedule ensures that your growth is consistent instead of working only on a few good days.
- Hire a Writing Coach
Authors who feel stuck on their writing journey often find writing coaches to be a great help. However, many potential authors also question whether it is really worth it to hire book coaches. Several authors with experience say yes.
A writing coach can help you with any areas of writing that you may need to improve. Most importantly, they can ensure that you meet deadlines quicker.
Some authors even agree that hiring a writing coach is the best use of their money. It does not just help you complete your current book quicker but also provides you with good knowledge of writing to help you in your career.
- Create an Outline First
If you see your book holistically, you are likely to get overwhelmed. After all, it can be a long project that you may not feel energised enough for. If you want to save yourself from being overwhelmed and procrastinating, it is best to create an outline beforehand.
A detailed outline ensures that you see your book in small and doable sections instead of one big task. Your outline can serve as a blueprint to keep your writing organised and focused.
- Get Done with Your First Draft
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to spend all your energy on the first draft. Of course, authors are the most enthusiastic while writing their first draft, but you must ensure that you spend your resources carefully.
A first draft does not need to be perfect. It is just a test run that can go great or terribly. You will have many more attempts to refine your draft as you get closer to your deadline.
While writing your first draft. It is important to be focused on getting done with it rather than making it a masterpiece. The sooner you will get done with the first draft, the sooner you will be able to move ahead.
- Set Your Deadlines
Deadlines are important for any task to be effectively completed. You cannot expect to complete your manuscript without setting achievable deadlines. They can keep you motivated and boost your accountability. This provides a sense of accountability and can help motivate you to stay on track.
It is best to ensure that your deadline is set according to your schedule and writing routine. An unrealistic deadline may lead to failure in achievement, which in turn can downturn your motivation for writing your book.
- Take Valid Breaks
You may think that more hours spent behind the desk mean that you have achieved more in a day. However, that is not true at all. In fact, forcing yourself to stay committed to a task for long hours can make you feel exhausted and burned out.
Your mind and body need breaks to prevent mental fatigue and burnout. You can schedule breaks for yourself or take one whenever it is needed. Whether a break means a walk in nature or watching an episode of your favourite show, tell yourself that it is okay to take a step back and pat yourself on the back for your achievement.
It is better to return to your writing station with a fresh mind and even fresher ideas instead of trying to force creativity out of your exhausted self.
- Seek Valued Feedback
Self-editing is never a bad practice. However, it may not be enough for you to feel confident about the accuracy of your manuscript. It is always a good idea to ask someone with experience and information to provide their valued feedback.
It is always a good idea to share your work with your mentors, writing buddies, and editors to help you improve your work.
In addition, beta readers can also provide constructive criticism and valuable feedback to help refine your manuscript.
