3 Ways To Be A Productive Writer

screenwriterml (58)in #screenwriting • 7 years ago

“Damit Jim, I’m a writer not a bricklayer.”

I am a writer not a coal miner... There are many ways to write. There are many ways to find your muse. There are many ways to collect ideas. Today, I would like to give you three ways to be a more productive writer. I often get the complement from my friend Scott. He always talks about my output being incredibly sickening. I asked him what he meant by that? I never got an answer. But, I figured out a few things. If you w going to be a writer and succeed in this business, two traits that you need are: Discipline and Management. You must discipline yourself and you must manage your time wisely.

He refers to me as productive. I am the energizer bunny when I write. I aim for high energy longevity writing. This is not about being a binge writer. Some folks plan to write 80,000 words. This can be a misuse of your time. I'm going to show you three ways to be a more productive writer.
Choose to be productive and write! If you're a screenwriter, one scene a day might not be good enough. Do 3 to 5 scenes a day. Now, does this include editing? No! Spend your time on producing words on the page. You do this at the best times for you. This is all about using your time wisely.

Be sure that you have your music playing, and anything that inspires you. Your willpower is essentially the fuel behind all of your work. Your imagination is also the fuel behind your work. Your intellect is what you need for revisions, corrections, and also the fuel behind your work.

Split Your Writing Time Up: Split your writing time into segments! You can set aside two hours for writing (20%) and edit the rest of the time (80%). This is not a Herculean task! Two hours of writing? Then reserve time for editing. You can always do 20 mins in the morning before your day. 5 days x 20 mins = 100 mins a week. The last day is reserved for edits and revisions. Let's face it, if you need good writing then understand all good writing stems from rewriting. The 1st Day for collecting ideas and brainstorming. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th day for writing. 5th day for grammar and revisions. You don't have to do it exactly how I'm stating here, but in order for me to be productive, I must quote Bones from Star Trek. “Dammit Jim, I'm a writer not a bricklayer.”

Set a Timer: Set a timer for 20 minutes, or your writing time. Understand that nothing is allowed to distract you as long as that timer is going. Unless, it is a family emergency and that is understandable. After the 20 minute mark is up, reward yourself with some exercise or something enjoyable. Google: Pomodoro technique.

Include Time for Brainstorming: Take the time to brainstorm, and get as many ideas as you can onto the page. Now, this idea messes with a writer’s ego a great deal. Make sure you go for an abundance of ideas, quantity of ideas, and go for as many ideas as you can without judgment. Writers often do not understand the difference between judgment and discernment, there is a very big difference between those two words. Discernment is more of a neutral feeling behind it, where judgment has harsh feelings. Once you have your big list of ideas, see if you can find relationships, and look for connections across the abundance of ideas that you have.

These are three small adjustments and they can work for you as long as you integrate them next time you sit down to write.

I want to quote my writing hero Stephen J. Cannell. “Trust me, it's okay to write garbage. You can learn from bad writing. Don't try to be brilliant; it's a standard that you most likely will never attain, and if you're trying to be brilliant, the most common by-product isn't brilliance, it's pretentiousness. Writing is not that hard. Make up a good story, then let it flow. Leave the brilliant work to the dead.”
Adjust your time! Some time for collecting ideas. Some time for producing words on the page. Some time for editing. Set a timer and be disciplined with yourself. All good writers are re-writers, and are disciplined.

Here is an effective way to write screenplays on a tough schedule.... Take notice on how you focus your energy with one task at a time giving it just the right amount of energy. This allows you to really home in on the skills.