A couple of times a year I write about strategies for getting going with your writing. But I’ve made a big list this time, just for a change. Fifty things to do to help yourself with your writing. Build your writing strategy repertoire!

Tackle perfectionism

• Write badly on purpose – Give yourself permission to write terribly to free yourself from your inner critic
• Embrace “shitty first drafts” knowing you’ll revise later
• Set smaller, manageable goals – Commit to just one paragraph, page, or sentence instead of whole chapters
• Use constraints or limitations – Set artificial boundaries e.g. 100-word arguments or avoiding certain words
• Free writing – Write continuously for 10-15 minutes without editing or censoring

Change your physical environment

• Change your environment – Move to different locations, coffee shops, libraries, or outdoor spaces
• Write in public spaces where other writers go – look for cafes and libraries with ambient writing energy
• Exercise before writing – Take walks, swim or stretch to stimulate thinking
• Write during different times of day – Experiment with writing times to find your peak creativity
• Use writing retreats – Find face to face or virtual workshops that remove daily distractions
• Turn your email and phone off

Use alt approaches

• Try a different medium – Switch from typing to handwriting, voice recording, mind maps, or visual storyboards
• Use voice-to-text software – Speak your story aloud and let the tech transcribe it
• Write in a different genre – Try poetry, play or news reports when stuck
• Use writing games – Turn your writing into a game with points and achievements e.g. Writeopoly!!
• Play with automatic writing – Try to empty your mind and let your hand write without conscious direction

Play with structure

• Start with the middle or end – Skip the bits where you are stuck, like beginnings, and write sections you’re excited about
• Work backwards from your conclusion – Trace logical steps backward from your So What end point
• Use the “snowflake method” – Start with one sentence, expand it to a paragraph, then a page
• Study story structures – Try frameworks like Hero’s Journey or a three-act structure
• Review and organise existing material – Reread work, make notes, create sketches, outline next steps

Shift perspective

• Write from different POV (point of view) – Switch to first/third person
• Write letters about your research to yourself or others. Be your research and write a letter to the writer
• Write companion pieces – Create prequels, or alternative versions of the same data analysis
• Interview yourself about your paper/chapter/book

Get inspired

• Read something interesting – Immerse yourself in good writing to spark ideas. Take a random book from a shelf and read.
• Research new sources – Dive into some of those PDFs you’ve been hoarding, visit a museum, listen to a podcast
• Go multimedia – Listen to mood music, create a mood board for your writing, watch atmospheric films
• Write as if you were – Transcribe passages of good writing and analyse the style
• Try ekphrastic writing – Write detailed descriptions of paintings, photographs, or sculptures
• Keep an idea journal – Capture random thoughts, overheard conversations, or interesting observations. revisit often

Use prompts

• Develop writing prompts or exercises – Try asking questions you would ask another writer, or write about what you need to write
• Use randomisers – Roll dice for sections or topics to write about, use random word generators, ask yourself serially “what if”
• Write reviews or critiques – Analyse book or articles in your field
• Use sensory writing exercises – Focus on one sense at a time and use this to generate new text

Build routines

• Regularly use Pomodoros – Work in focused 25-minute sprints followed by 5-minute breaks., Schedule these
• Write morning pages – Do three pages of stream-of-consciousness thoughts first thing each morning
• Create a writing ritual – Develop consistent pre-writing routines that signal creative time
• Use the “door method” – Stop mid-sentence when ending sessions for easy re-entry points
• Study your own writing patterns – Track when, where, and under what conditions you write best. Be realistic and kind to yourself!

Find community

• Talk about your ideas – Explain ideas aloud to others, record yourself
• Join or form accountability groups – Connect with other writers for check-ins, writing dates, or critiques
• Create writing challenges with friends – Set up collaborative exercises with other writers
• Use the “Yes, and…” improv technique – Build on what you’ve written instead of deleting or backtracking
• Write yourself writing advice – Write encouraging letters from your future successful writer self

Stay well

• Identify the underlying issue – See if you’re worried, stalled by fear, uncertainty, or external stress. Seek help if you’re really in a bad place
• Take a purposeful break – Engage in an activity that lets your subconscious work e. g. cleaning, gardening
• Practice visualisation exercises – Mentally walk through sections before writing them
• Create writing playlists – Curate specific music for different sections of your writing
• Practice code-switching – Keep multiple projects active and switch when you hit a block

Photo by Nik on Unsplash