writer life

3 Ways Smart Writers Easily Manage Multiple Projects

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3 Ways Smart Writers Easily Manage Multiple Projects

Whether I like it or not, it feels like I always have multiple projects vying for my attention.

Sometimes I want to play by the rules for events like NaNoWriMo—to participate, I need a fresh story idea and a blank page on the first day of the month. Other times, inspiration simply strikes at an inopportune time.

Most of the time, I can handle keeping the story or characters that come to mind in the notes section of my phone, leaving them on the back burner until they become relevant. There are some cases, however, where I can’t—maybe there’s a deadline involved, maybe the story is simply begging to be told. Either way, I must sit down and write, regardless of my current projects. Since I’m a writer, a blogger, and a full-time student, that’s pretty frequent.

When this happens, it’s easy to lose track of the details. I don’t want to cross-contaminate projects, and I also don’t want to take on too many projects at once. If I progress too slowly, I know I might become discouraged. That’s why, whether I’m plotting or not, it’s important to stay organized as a writer.

There are three key things I’ve picked up so far that have helped me juggle multiple projects effectively. Whether you’re writing a book during NaNoWriMo, rounding out a paper or three, or just keeping them in mind for later, hopefully, these key tips will help you, too.

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5 Amazing Tips to Cure Writer’s Block

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5 Amazing Tips to Cure Writer's Block

I think we can all agree that, as creative types, writer’s block is the bane of our existence. We sit down, ready to turn our ideas into reality, when… nothing. No thoughts, head empty, as the saying goes. But how do we cure ourselves of this dilemma?

Luckily, while the cause of the block may vary across writers and between sessions, the cure each time is relatively simple. To beat writer’s block, one must either get in the “writing zone” (easier said than done) or find a new angle entirely. You don’t need to pick your way through a hundred-step list to figure out how to get your writing back on track, either—just five. 

Keep reading to save yourself a headache the next time you go head-to-head with a blank page and a blank mind.

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8 Tried-and-True Methods to Find Your Motivation to Write

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8 Tried-and-True Methods to Find Your Motivation to Write

Tell me if this sounds familiar:

You look down at your to-do list and see the next item on it—revise next two chapters of draft. It’s a manageable goal—a downright small goal, frankly—and you know it, but you feel… stuck. You can’t quite force yourself to sit down at your computer and get it done, especially not when watching the next episode of your favorite show is so much easier and so much more fun. Sure, drafting was exciting, but revisions just suck. Before you know it, three hours have gone by and you haven’t accomplished anything. Then five hours. Then seven. Then—oh look, it’s dinnertime. Oh, well, surely tomorrow will be a more productive day.

No? Just me? Well, I’m going to talk about it anyway.

Motivation is a slippery thing, showing up at the most inconvenient times—for me, it’s around 1am—and flitting away as suddenly as it arrives. Almost any kind of work can be done without feeling motivated; in fact, work should be done without motivation, given the latter’s elusive and inconsistent nature. However, I’ve come to realize that I tend to do my best work when I’m feeling inspired and motivated to write, and there are a few specific things I do to keep my head in the game and make sure I’m giving my current project my all. Hopefully, you will be able to apply these steps the next time you find yourself “left in a Lurch,” as Dr. Seuss would say.

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