Are you struggling to get your writing started? Award-winning author Lori Hatcher shares five tips to help us increase our writing output.
Meet This Week's Guest
Are you struggling to get your writing started? Award-winning author Lori Hatcher shares five tips to help us increase our writing output.
Welcome to Your Best Writing Life, an extension of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference held in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of NC. I’m your host, Linda Goldfarb. Each week, I bring tips and strategies from writing and publishing industry experts to help you excel in your craft. I’m so glad you’re listening in. During this episode, you’ll learn Five Tips to Increase Your Writing Productivity.
My industry expert is Lori Hatcher. Lori inspires and equips others by sharing high-impact stories for spiritual transformation. A popular women’s ministry speaker and writing/speaking instructor, Lori is an Advanced Communicator Gold and Advanced Leader Bronze with Toastmasters International. She writes for Our Daily Bread, Guideposts, Revive Our Hearts, and Crosswalk.com.
Lori, welcome to Your Best Writing Life!
Five Tips to Increase Your Writing Productivity
Tip one – Write in order of priorities, not preferences. Release the tyranny of the urgent: at the end of the day, what is most important for me to accomplish today?
Tip two – Use the four-bucket method, with either hard copies or digital folders. Notes app for iOS:
- Bucket of ideas: choose the one that resonates.
- Bucket of first drafts: write 500 words or one timer’s worth (check this bucket first).
- Bucket of ready-to-edit: a complete piece (go to this second).
- Bucket of ready-to-submit: a go-to list of places to submit or in your book manuscript.
Tip three: Use the Pomodoro method, intentionally moving up and down. Work for 25 minutes, then take 5 minutes off. Write in sprints (or more, perhaps 55 minutes on, followed by a 15-minute mental break during which you change locations and physical positions).
Tip four: Create a page or word count goal for each chapter or element to ensure cohesiveness. This will also help you write tightly.
Tip five: Pray before you write. God knows the words we need. Pray while you write, and pray after you write. Make time with God a top priority and release your work to Him. He always accomplishes what we need to do. Ask Him to give us His heart for our writing readers.
LINKS
A WORD FOR YOUR DAY: 66 DEVOTIONS TO REFRESH YOUR MIND, from Our Daily Bread Publishing
