New Year is back, and it’s time for a couple of resolutions.
So here’s one for every writer. Whatever it is you’re writing.
‘Don’t forget to write!’
Seriously. Don’t. Especially if you work from home. Because if you do, your typical writing day might go something like this…
7.00 am Wake up. Moan. Drift back to sleep.
7.30 am Wake up again because alarm has gone off. Turn off alarm.
8.00 am Wake up, feel uncomfortable, go to the loo. Amble down to kitchen
8.05 am Make first coffee of the day. (Many more to follow.) Think about breakfast before sitting down in front of computer and turning it on.
9.25 am Realise you have spent nearly an hour and a half online, without doing any actual work. Also realise you feel hungry.
10.30 am Finish breakfast in front of computer while watching something a friend found on YouTube. Consider doing some work – after you’ve had a shower, of course.
11.45 am Accounts now fully up to date. Emails all read. Most have nothing to do with work. Start wondering what to write about today.
12.30 am Still wondering, but distracted by trailer for a new film that looks interesting.
1.30 pm Nothing actually written, so decide to have lunch.
2.30 pm Finish lunch. Feel a little sleepy. And totally uninspired. Play a few rounds of Solitaire in the hope something will come to mind.
4.30 pm Still playing Solitaire, but vaguely aware that the deadline for your next piece is tomorrow.
5.00 pm Still can’t think what to write. Phone a friend. They’re out.
5.05 pm Time to stop work. Check TV schedules…
And so it goes on…
Alternatively…
It doesn’t actually matter when you get up, if you work from home. After all, no one’s going to know that you answered the phone in your pyjamas. And having discussed this issue with many freelancers, I know that the 11.00 am shower is remarkably common, at New Year or at any other time.
But the secret to writing something is, quite simply, to write something. Anything! In fact I started this piece in exactly that way.
And got something written.
So the writing muscles got a little exercise. My brain has shifted from game-playing and social-media-timewasting mode into writing mode.
And there’s just a chance I might produce something of commercial value before teatime…
So don’t forget to write. Seriously. Don’t. Make it the one New Year resolution you’re actually going to keep. And if you need a little help to do that, why not start here?
And if that writer’s block is still plugging up your creativity – try a few suggestions here...
You might even enjoy it…