Everyone struggles with increasing their productivity, but writers tend to struggle more than most. For one thing, writers either work full-time and have to fit writing into their “spare” time, or they write full-time, most likely from home, where the daily distractions are hard to overcome. How do you get more “butt-in-chair” time? And how do you make the most efficient use of that time?

Identify the things that distract and derail you.

For some this may be a dirty kitchen or a mountain of laundry. For others noise is a deal breaker. For still others the telephone is the biggest problem. Once you’ve identified these distractions, you can make moves to minimize them. Use an answering machine, close the door, and schedule a specific time to tackle the laundry. Learn to delegate and to say no, and do not feel guilty for devoting some time to your craft. Or pack up the laptop and head to the library.

For many people e-mail and Internet surfing can eat up valuable writing time. There are legitimate “writing” reasons to use the Internet, but, if possible, do research and writing-related e-mailing in a separate block of time. Give yourself specific times to check for incoming mail or catch up on your favorite blogs. Stick to a time limit. (The same goes for your favorite TV programs.)

Find your optimum time.

Some people write best in the wee hours of the morning, before the kids get up and the demands of the world begin. The muse hits others in the evening. If you find yourself nodding off at three in the afternoon, this is probably not your optimum writing time. Schedule your most productive hours on a calendar, and make this time your own. If you are only able to grab bits and pieces of time here and there, make the most of those episodes—give yourself one task to tackle, and do not deviate from it. If you are hit with inspiration throughout the day, night, or anytime in between, carry a notebook so you don’t lose those ideas.

Get organized.

It’s hard to be productive when you can’t find a new ink cartridge or lay hands on your favorite thesaurus. Gather your materials before you begin, and clear a space. Sometimes organizing your physical surroundings can help your thoughts organize themselves.

Consolidate your errands and set aside a specific time just for shopping, returning library books, and/or picking up the dry cleaning. If you are in charge of family meals, make a weekly menu and do your grocery shopping all at once. Those little jaunts add up and really cut into writing time.

Set goals. Take advantage of calendars and day planners. There are several electronic organizational tools for those with a techie bent, and most e-mail programs have a schedule function. Other people may prefer a legal pad and a desk calendar. Whatever helps you see the big picture.

The to-do list.

It works well to keep two lists. One list is the master list, and it contains big-picture tasks, like “Write book proposal” or “Find an agent.” The second list breaks down tasks into manageable chunks, like “Outline book proposal” or “Get latest copy of Writer’s Market.” You can keep a running list or create a new one each day. Sometimes filling out your to-do list for the next day keeps those nagging thoughts from disturbing your sleep, and you can wake up fresh, with your day outlined.

Be realistic about your list, or you may find yourself frustrated.

And, finally, make time to write every day. If you’re burned out, write just a few sentences or set a timer and write for five minutes. This will often lead to more enjoyable minutes spent honing your craft. And watching your writing improve is an added bonus.


- Writer\\\’s Relief

Sometimes writers block comes because we’re really not happy with the way our story is progressing. Maybe it’s too obvious. Perhaps it just doesn’t feel like it’s coming out the way you imagine it. Or maybe it just doesn’t have that special spark and just kind of lays there on the page like a bad hairball.

One of the best ways to get around this kind of writers block is to do a bit of brainstorming on paper. In this exercise you’re simply noodling on paper, so you don’t have to worry about getting anything right. (For those who don’t know, noodling is something jazz musicians do when they’re just messing around and trying things out.)

Start by writing down what’s going on in your story up to the point where you’re stuck.

Now write down any ideas of what should be happening in the scene you’re stuck on. You don’t have to write in complete sentences. It can be just a few words or scribbled notes. Just as long as the jist of the scene is there.

It could look something like: “So far, [a couple of words about what has led up to this point.] So now Jane is planning on doing X.” Or “Sue really needs Bob to do Y.” Maybe Jane is going to pick something up at the store. Or maybe Sue is going to meet Bob at a restaurant in order to persuade him to do something.

What this does is remind your muse what’s going on and brings your imagination up to speed.

Now write down the actions your character needs to take in this particular scene, why and what needs to happen as a result. In other words, what does your character want to happen as a result of the action she takes in this scene?

Now write down ten different ways the scene could go.

It doesn’t matter if some of them are wild and crazy and really out there, or even if you’re never going to use any of those ideas. What matters is getting creative with your story ideas. What usually happens is that you’ll end up coming up with a much more interesting way the scene could play out and that will get you excited about your story again. Chances are you’ll also create new depth in that scene and make your story richer and much more interesting.

You might even come up with ideas you can use in other scenes or even a whole new subplot. Which means it will be a better read for your audience and a better write for you.

It’s important not to censor yourself here. Remember, you’re just coming up with alternatives and ideas. It’s like playing in the sandbox.

So – how many ways can you come up with for your scene to play out?


- Kieran Mckendrick

Writers block is one of those mysterious ailments that is blamed for late assignments, missed deadlines, and failed dreams. Some people claim it is merely a myth while others find it plagues their writing.

As someone with more than two decades of professional writing, editing and teaching experience I feel quite strongly that in 99.9 percent of reported cases of writers block are nothing more than a chimera. In my opinion, far too many would-be writers spend far too much time and energy on finding the right computer, program, paper, pen, location, mood-setting music, and the like before they can begin writing when that time and energy would be much better spent on simply getting down to the business of writing. These would-be writers treat their muse as something delicate and breakable, something as elusive and fleeting as smoke.

I know from years spent in the hurly-burly of newspaper reporting and snatching moments to write between deadlines and dinner dishes that a muse worth keeping is made of much tougher material and in fact may benefit from some abuse.

Most often writers block, or what is commonly referred to as writers block, is caused by one of three problems–lack of preparation, lack of training, and lack of development. Lack of preparation is often caused by not creating an individual writing process that can take advantage of your writing strengths and help overcome your writing weaknesses. Lack of training is similar to athletic training–you need to warm up and work out on a regular schedule to keep your writing muscles in top condition. Lack of development simply means that your particular idea may need more time to percolate or perhaps you are not ready to tackle that particular topic at the time.

I have three recommendations to help you work through writers block. First is to simply write through it. Give yourself permission to write garbage and focus on simply creating a really rough draft. Often once you stop worrying over all that is wrong with your writing the words will begin flowing again.

A second method of dealing with writers block is to get moving. Take a walk or hike. Do something physical away from your office or desk and do not let yourself return to the scene of the crime (or writers block) until several hours have passed. You might be surprised what your brain works out in the interim.

Finally, exercise and challenge your writing muscles with writing prompts and exercises. Sometimes simply changing the pace of your writing or your subject matter can be enough to help you work through your difficulty.

Remember, every writer experiences some form of writers block from time to time but you do not have to make a mountain out of a molehill. Working out an effective strategy to circumvent writers block when it strikes is one of the most important skills a real writer can develop.


- Deanna Mascle

Sometimes writers block happens because you’ve gotten in a rut and the air has gotten stale. A good way to get your brain and the creative muse moving again is to get moving yourself. But you don’t want to just put on your jacket and walk out the door. Follow a simple writers plan to make the exercise productive.

While this doesn’t require a lot of preparation, you want to make sure you have a few things with you. Remember, this time is for regenerating your writing juices and getting the words flowing.

Location: public bus, subway or similar mass transit vehicle

Essential equipment: notebook of some kind, pen or pencil, map of the routes and schedule, and (most importantly) the writer’s eye.

Plan on spending at least 2-3 hours riding the bus (or subway or whatever). Check out the routes a little in advance so you don’t get stuck out in west podunk for two hours between runs. You’ll also want to sit near the back of the bus so you can see everyone who gets on or off.

Once you get on the bus you have two options.

Option One

You can simply make notes on your fellow passengers as character sketches. This includes descriptions of them, their clothing, and their cell phone conversations. It’s also fun if you try to figure out what they do for a living and what their personal story is. Imagine what is going on in their mind right now and where they just came from and where they’re going when they get off the bus. Do this for as many people on the bus as you can.

Option Two

Pretend you are one of the characters in your current story. So while you’re writing about the other people riding the bus, you can write about why your character is on the bus and what she notices about some of her fellow passengers. Her attitude, likes, dislikes, feeling about who sits next to her and how she takes the experiences are useful to note. This is especially effective if you’re not sure what to do next in the story. At that point, make your character ride mass transit and write about the experience. Something is bound to turn up.

When you get back, consider subjecting each of your characters to the same bus ride and see it from each point of view. How would they describe the same passengers your initial character saw? How would they feel about riding the bus and rubbing shoulders with some of the same people?

After a few hours you will have something in writing and more than a few character sketches, descriptions and other goodies that you can weave into a story. Not a bad way to get taken for a ride, now is it?


- Kieran Mckendrick

(Remember: November is National Novel Writing Month)

My latest novel has been lounging on my computer for months. I have a thousand excuses for not finishing it: too busy with other endeavors, writer’s block, my lead character won’t budge, my cat needs food. Oh, yes, I have a ton of legitimate reasons for not finishing my third novel in my Amos Grant mystery series. I feel angry with myself. But then again, I don’t want my cat to starve. A dead cat in the house is bad for one’s muse.

So I feed the cat and start to thumb through The Easy Way To Write A Novel by Rob Parnell. It’s an e-book that caught my attention. (I like e-books because they are cheap and fast, much like some of the girls from my old neighborhood.) But Parnell’s book is more satisfying.

“If you are reasonably well educated, or even if not, everything you need to write an enduring novel-length piece of fiction is inside you. You already possess the talent and the necessary skills. All you have to do is access them.”

This is how Rob Parnell, founder of Easy Way To Write, begins his 179-page informative e-book. Using psychology and motivational advice, Parnell walks you through his unique process. More Zen monk than strict writing teacher, he spends a good part of his book teaching you meditation and visualization techniques.

Some may find his holistic approach a bit strange. But treating the whole person, taking into account one’s mental and social factors as well as the physical act of writing, caught my attention. It differed from the hundreds of other writing books I have sitting on my bookshelves. It sparked my muse into a new way of writing novels. If I had read Parnell’s e-book before I struggled through my own six novels, I believe the entire process would have been less painful.

What Rob Parnell does is prepare you to write before he shows you how to write your novel in 30 days. (Maybe he should have named his book “The FAST Way To Write a Novel.”) In any case, I was intrigued by his system. I, especially, enjoyed his putting to rest some of the myths about writing a novel.

For instance, he points out that all art (writing included) is subjective. “There is absolutely no reason to believe that what you create is less a work of art than anything else,” he writes. “If you believe your book to be a work of art, then that’s exactly what it is. Period.”

You must have an “original idea” is another phrase you hear a lot about. But Parnell points out that what these know-it-alls really mean is that you should write something “significantly different.” There is no such thing as an original idea. I found this out when in 1973 I came out with my “original” magazine of memories, Yesterday’s Magazette. Unbeknownst to me, others were heaving this same “original” idea around the same exact time. But I still say I came out with it first.

Here’s another example: In 1970, I coined the “original” saying of “always expect the unexpected.” But the funny thing is that since that time I must have heard my same “original” expression repeated a million times or more. One more original idea I thought I had back in the late 70s was to write a column of “Oddball News” items, which I did for a few years. Now I see there is a very similar column called News Of The Weird which is now syndicated in hundreds of newspapers.

So believe me and Rob Parnell when we say “don’t waste your time” agonizing and trying to come up with some original idea for your book. Don’t even try. Just put a twist on an old idea.

Parnell recommends writing fast. “If you try to use your conscious logical side of your mind to write, you’ll take forever,” he states. “Let your fingers write or type automatically.” In other words, he advises, use your subconscious to write that great novel.

As much as I enjoyed the mindset and motivational techniques in the first half of Parnell’s book, I have to admit that Part Two about his “30 Day Formula” for writing a novel was equally entertaining and informative. Right off, he tells you that you need CHARACTERS before anything else. He says without interesting characters, there is simply no story.

He guides you through each day. He even designs a ten step plot template and explains how setting should best be viewed as another character to define. He then  goes on to list the ten fundamental mistakes that writers should avoid. Lastly, like a good coach, he is there to nudge and push you along and to motivate you. “You’re always closer to success than you think!”

I admit Rob Parnell’s e-book, The Easy Way To Write a Novel, got my motor running. In fact, I’ve decided to spend the rest  of the day working on my novel.  After all, it is National Novel Month. What better time to finish a novel. I feel really pumped! My mind is racing with ideas. My fingers are a twitter. I’m smokin’!

But first … I need to feed the cat.


- E. P. Ned Burke

How do you begin writing a poem? Where do you get the subject?
- viva le Eire!