A concise list of lesser-known writing tips and tricks.
1) Sprint writing is a bad idea.
If you plan on writing anything over 40 000 words, I have some words of hard-earned wisdom for you. It is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Now, this tip makes its way into most “Top 10 Writing Tips” lists, but I’m referring to something a little more dangerous than “You need to pace yourself”. When I refer to sprint writing I’m referring to the act of skipping meals, 3 hours of sleep and excessive stimulant use. This is a bad idea for three important reasons.
1.1) You won’t write your best without sleep. Google the effects of sleep deprivation on human mental function and creativity.
1.2) Your days blend together, one week feels like three days, and in the interim your mind, health and relationships are being neglected.
1.3) The unfortunate truth is mental disease is common in the literary community. Sleep deprivation is a terrible idea, there is not a single mental disease that is not made substantially worse by sleep deprivation and excessive stimulant use.
We’ve all done the math. “I can write X words a day, if I stay awake and write non-stop, I could complete my book in a mere XX days. Don’t do it.
2) Supplements…. because you are going to ignore the advice above.
Speaking of excessive stimulant use, despite my warning, most of you will continue to consume biblical amounts of coffee. I know this because, as I’m writing this, there is enough caffeine in my system to fail a 2004 Olympic Anti-Doping Test. I’m two espressos and two French-presses deep into a caffeine-fuelled writing sprint. It’s ten in the morning and as I’m writing this…….. I just turned on the espresso maker. I don’t do this very often because I know it is counterproductive, but it’s going to happen.
2.1) Do yourself a favour and Google the effects of caffeine and L-theanine. L-theanine will help you focus, negate some negative effects of caffeine, and calm your thoughts.
You should not expect too much from this nootropic. If scenes from the movie Limitless come to mind, you are WAY off. Moderate caffeine use, a quick nap or a good night’s rest will make you much more productive than a caffeine and L-theanine sprint, but every bit helps.
2.2) Ashwagandha’s health benefits are staggering. The list of high-quality studies performed on this supplement is long, rivalling the research done on some mass prescribed pharmaceuticals. The major reason for an author to take this supplement is its ability to guard the human body against stress. Once again, don’t expect miracles; rest, exercise and a proper diet will probably be more effective.
3) Routine.
I hate having a routine, it is the first step in fading away into the grey uniformity of society. That being said: You should definitely have a proper routine. If you don’t make time for family, exercise and relaxation you risk neglecting important aspects of your life. Don’t just decide on a schedule and force yourself to adhere to it. It will take some trial-and-error to find a routine that works for you. Most routines are inflexible and do not take into account the reality of modern life.
Rigid, 5-day, hour-by-hour, schedules do not work in the real world.
Taking your car in for a service, visiting family, holidays. An effective program should accommodate the usual and unforeseen interruptions.
4) Buy cheap notebooks.
When I started writing, I bought beautiful leather-clad notebooks. Years later these notebooks are still empty. What are you supposed to write in these things? Whatever you write in them should justify the exorbitant price. I take a lot of notes. Often, they are written in the spur of the moment, in vague language, and in illegible handwriting. There is a 10% chance that I’ll give the note a second look. Most of the time I’ll remember what I wrote, or forget I ever wrote it down. But, on more than one occasion, recording a seemingly insignificant thought, has been immensely important down the line. If you want my advice, buy a lot of cheap notebooks. You shouldn’t be afraid of taking notes for fear of filling up an expensive albino alligator-skin notebook with seemingly unimportant information.
5) Spreadsheets.
I suggest you spend a day or two and build yourself a “Filing, planning, and editing” system. A lot of sites suggest that you buy software specifically designed for writers. If one of the programs works for you, great; but I prefer to build my own system with Excel. I use my little program for planning, plot outlines, editing, and organisation. Cheap notebooks used to litter my study like socks in a teenager's room. I had drawers full of half-full notebooks, I kept them for fear of discarding an important note. I still use the notebooks, but I can hold the stack in one hand instead of a milk crate. All my important notes are safely backed-up on the cloud.
So there you go, 5 uncommon writing tips you won't hear from anybody else.
Please consult your doctor before consuming any stimulants or supplements.
Thanks for reading
JJ
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