Reading time: About 3 minutes
Are you making writing too hard for yourself? Here are seven common mistakes that plague many people…
When I wrote my first book, 17 years ago, I struggled to sit down to produce the first draft.
I procrastinated constantly (I’d rather have worked on my taxes), I edited while I wrote and I set monster-sized goals for myself.
That I finished my book, in roughly a year, said less about my writing skill and more about my I’m-going-to-do-this-or-die-trying stubbornness.
Please, learn from my mistakes! Here are seven ways you’re probably making writing too hard for yourself:
1-You’re procrastinating
Putting off writing until the last minute not only increases your stress, it also decreases the quality of your writing. I encourage you to break your projects into smaller segments (How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!) and to start planning your next project the moment you hear about it.
If you do a little bit of work every day, even the most enormous project becomes much more manageable. The secret sauce to writing daily is doing it first thing in the morning. If you write before your day goes sideways on you, and before other commitments stack up, you’ll feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment, which will make you feel more like writing tomorrow.
2-You’re doing too much (or too little) research
People tend to fall into one of two categories: over-researchers (who love the topic and also use research as a form of procrastination) or under-researchers (who find the task overwhelming). I’m an under-researcher by nature, but the trick is to KNOW your tendency and take steps to address it.
My simple tip for dealing with research problems is wonderfully easy and even a little fun: maintain a research diary. It’s simple to do, and it will dramatically improve your writing.
3-You’re failing to plan
Ironically, many people get so fussed about their deadlines they start writing too early. This is just as unhelpful as procrastinating, and it leads to serious problems (mainly, you sit and stare at a blank screen until beads of blood form on your forehead).
Instead of jumping in to write text ASAP, spend the first 30 minutes of your project making a plan for how to succeed. Most of all, make sure you allocate enough time for editing. (See tip 7, below.)
4-You’re editing while you write
This common mistake makes writing a miserable task. Even worse, it makes you both a bad writer and a bad editor. Why?
Trying to do two different things at the same time dramatically increases your stress levels and the number of mistakes you’re likely to make. Also, if you try to edit too soon, you don’t yet have the perspective you need to be a decent self-editor. Only time can give you the necessary clarity.
5-You’re expecting inspiration to bail you out
If I had a nickel for every person who told me they needed more inspiration, I’d be wealthy. But in fact, inspiration almost always comes once you’ve started writing. It’s the act of doing that inspires us.
Professional writers like Stephen King and Margaret Atwood don’t wait for inspiration. Instead, they start writing and let inspiration find them.
6-You’re setting goals that are too big
If you want to write a book (70,000 words) or you need to write a dissertation (40,000 to 100,000 words depending on the faculty), you’re facing an almost-insurmountable mountain. From the bottom, it looks daunting and overwhelming. How are you possibly going to get the strength and endurance to climb that monster?
Simple. Don’t think of it as a book or a dissertation. Instead, regard it as a series of chapters or sections and focus ONLY on what you are writing that day. Strategic blindness to the overall size of the project is exactly what will help you finish it.
7-You’re not doing nearly enough editing
Many writers don’t allow themselves nearly enough time for editing. Here’s my rule: editing should generally take twice as long as writing. Don’t trap yourself by leaving your writing until the last minute, when there’s almost no time left for revision.
Instead, start and finish your first draft early so you have ample time to refine and improve it.
The real secret to successful writing
By addressing these seven common pitfalls, you’ll transform writing from a dreaded chore into a manageable, even enjoyable practice.
Remember writing is a skill that improves with consistent effort. Each time you sit down to write — even when it feels difficult — you’re strengthening your writing muscles and building good habits.
The most successful writers aren’t necessarily the most talented — they’re the most persistent.
If you liked this post, you’ll also like Are you working too hard?
*
Need some help developing a better, more sustainable writing or editing routine? Learn about my three-month accountability program called Get It Done. There is turn-over each month, and priority will go to those who have applied first. You can go directly to the application form and you’ll hear back from me within 24 hours.
*
My video podcast last week addressed whether it’s wise to revisit old mindmaps. You can watch the video or read the transcript, and you can also subscribe to my YouTube channel.
*
How do you stop making writing too hard for yourself? We can all learn from each other, so please, share your thoughts with my readers and me in the comments section, below. If you comment on today’s post (or any others) by April 30/25, I’ll put you in a draw for a digital copy of my first book, 8 1/2 Steps to Writing Faster, Better. To enter, please scroll down to the comments, directly underneath the related posts links, below. You don’t have to join Disqus to post! Read my tutorial to learn how to post as a guest. (It’s easy!)
