Writing In Short Bursts
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Whether you’ve been writing for years or you’re just starting out, the writing process can sometimes be rather daunting. This is especially true when you’re facing a huge project, such as a novel. Sitting down and facing a blank computer screen, knowing that you need to fill hundreds of pages, is enough to shut just about anyone down.
But there is an easier way.
It’s what I like to call … chunking down.
In the case of a project such as a novel, this process is simply a way of changing your focus from the big picture to the small picture. You’re not writing a book, you’re writing a chapter or a scene or even a single page of a scene. The smaller the chunk, the easier it is to face it and deal with it.
Not only does this work effectively with the writing project itself, it also works effectively with time. Instead of writing for the next six or nine months, you’re writing for a week, or a day, or even an hour. Again, you can quickly see how less intimidating the process is when you know you only have to write for an hour and you only have to work on a single page of a single scene.
In fact, I often use a kitchen timer when I write. Usually, I set it for one hour. At the end of that hour, I’m up and about, moving a little, focusing on something else that needs to be done around the house, in order to give my brain a few minutes of freedom. Ten or fifteen minutes later, I’m back at the computer again, with another hour set on the timer and my brain ready to give it another shot.
Some days are better than others, of course. When I’m having a particularly difficult time writing, I’ll chunk my writing time down to as little as fifteen minutes. During these short bursts, I shift my goal from writing under reasonable control to just getting the words on the screen. 500 words in fifteen minutes. That’s what I’m after. They don’t have to be pretty words. The sentences don’t have to all flow together perfectly. Not every adjective has to have power and perfection. Just get 500 words on the screen.
Then I’ll take a fifteen minute break, and I’ll come back and edit those 500 words.
Now, I’ve got something to work with. The screen isn’t empty. There are words and sentences and structure and ideas. And because editing is a completely different process from writing, my brain begins to function in a new mode. It’s much more workman-like, better focused, not as creative, but definitely more precise and exacting.
So, don’t let your writing projects overwhelm you. Chunk them down as much as possible and write in shorter bursts. You’re going to quickly discover that when you free yourself from your fears and constraints that your writing will actually improve. Writing faster often results in writing better.
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