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Holy smokes, it's soon November 2019. Anyone else getting that feeling like there's suddenly not enough year left?
Well, stop it! That's a mistake I keep making, too. "Oh, I blew it for 2019; I'd better start making plans for 2020." But that's why we ended up not achieving as much as we'd hoped in the first place; thinking too much about the future. I'm not saying you shouldn't make plans, but let's promise to ask ourselves more often: "What can I do right now that will move my project forward?" And that's not a New Year's resolution, but a TODAY resolution!
So: This is a thread open to anyone who wants to start, maintain, or reinforce a writing habit. (It can also be about revision, editing, research, or even just the everyday stuff you need to keep up with to support your writing.)
The idea is that repeating something daily will build a habit that becomes stronger over time.
It's entirely up to you how much and in what way you participate. Post your goals if you like, or just check in when you can!
Here are some tips:
Remember: if you share your experiences in the thread, others might be able to help out with tips, tricks, and support! And it's okay to just take a break for a day or two, or have scheduled days off. Find what works for you.
Good luck, and see you on November 1st!
P.S. I know this is the NaNoWriMo month, and NaNo-ers are of course welcome to report in here! However, I don't want people to feel pressure to participate in NaNoWriMo. It's not for everyone, and if it's not for you, that's okay. You're still a writer.
Well, stop it! That's a mistake I keep making, too. "Oh, I blew it for 2019; I'd better start making plans for 2020." But that's why we ended up not achieving as much as we'd hoped in the first place; thinking too much about the future. I'm not saying you shouldn't make plans, but let's promise to ask ourselves more often: "What can I do right now that will move my project forward?" And that's not a New Year's resolution, but a TODAY resolution!
So: This is a thread open to anyone who wants to start, maintain, or reinforce a writing habit. (It can also be about revision, editing, research, or even just the everyday stuff you need to keep up with to support your writing.)
The idea is that repeating something daily will build a habit that becomes stronger over time.
It's entirely up to you how much and in what way you participate. Post your goals if you like, or just check in when you can!
Here are some tips:
- Set achievable goals – I can't stress enough how important this is. To build a habit, doing something is more important than quantity or quality.
- Try to do a little every day – even if it's just writing a sentence or two. It reinforces the habit of sitting down to write and makes it easier to get keep it up in the long run.
- Be adaptive – You'll always be facing new challenges, and what works for someone else doesn't always work for you. What worked for you last week might not work this week. Try different types of goals, different times of the day, and different tricks to reward or motivate yourself. A good habit is what works for you, right now.
- Be patient – It takes a long time to build a strong habit, and progress happens in tiny increments; you won't always notice it day by day, or even week by week.
- Failure is a part of the process – Failure is a natural part of improving your skills because it lets you figure out what went wrong so you can do better in the future. When you fail to hit your target, your job is figuring out why it happened. That way, you can find ways to get around your roadblocks (and don't be scared of lowering the bar).
Remember: if you share your experiences in the thread, others might be able to help out with tips, tricks, and support! And it's okay to just take a break for a day or two, or have scheduled days off. Find what works for you.
Good luck, and see you on November 1st!
P.S. I know this is the NaNoWriMo month, and NaNo-ers are of course welcome to report in here! However, I don't want people to feel pressure to participate in NaNoWriMo. It's not for everyone, and if it's not for you, that's okay. You're still a writer.