Finding Your Writing Rhythm

800x600

When I first started writing as a profession, I didn’t know when my best time to write was. I just grabbed time anywhere I could. Then wondered why some of my writing was good and other pieces were not. I tortured myself like this for some time. I knew there was a better way, but I didn’t know what to do.

Discovering when you’re the most productive, or creative, is one of the first tasks in finding your rhythm. Unfortunately there is a lot of trial and error to finding this. I wrote at different times of day and reflected on the body of work that I created. I noticed my writing was the most effortlessness in the early morning. Later in the day my creative juices dried out, but I could edit and do basic revisions in the evening as well as data entry. Knowing when I’m most creatively productive helps me schedule what I’m going to work on and when. I can schedule myself more effectively to get the most accomplished. When is your writing the most effortless?

Before I begin to write I go through a few things to get in to the zone. I wake up and get completely ready for the day. I have that all so important cup of coffee. I organize my materials, and then I get down to the business of writing. What do you do to get ready to write?

When I’m done writing either because of time limitations or my creative juices have dried out, I make sure that everything is saved. I print out whatever I want to edit later that day. Either what I have just been working on or another piece I have. I usually take something other than what I was just working on to edit later. I find that working on something I had put away for a short time is more productive. I organize my desk, turn the computer off and head off to wherever the rest of my day will take me. What do you do to wind down?

With a full time job and family I can’t always get my schedule to where I have an uninterrupted hour during my early morning prime time, but I do make sure I get some type of writing done during that time, no matter what.

 

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}