Forge Ahead: Ways to be a More Productive Writer, Part 4

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

The urge to fiddle is strong with a lot writers. Even once the book is published we want to go back and edit. But tweaking first draft pages can often hold us back, especially if we're looking at writing we've just done when we want to write something new.

This first article in this series is on finding the right time and place to write, followed by more on preparation, stopping in the middle, not re-reading too much of the previous session, and leaving yourself notes. The final stop is all about not wasting time. 

Tip number four on being a more productive writer:

Don't read what you wrote the day before. Or at least not all of it.

I always started my writing session by reading what I'd done the session before. Re-familiarizing myself with the story and the voices. But then I noticed that I was spending a lot of time editing those "quick re-reads" and by the time I got to the writing, a big chunk of my writing time was gone.

So I started just reading the last page or two, if anything at all, and moving forward.

I noticed I got to the actual writing part a lot faster, so I got more done in my allotted time.

This is much easier if you've left yourself a "in the middle" paragraph so you can just pick up where you left off. Even easier if you take those five minutes and plan out your writing session. You can even read the last session's planning summary to remind yourself where you were. (another handy reason to do this)

There will be times when you do need to go back for a specific reason and double check something, but most of the time you can forge ahead and get to work.

This tip's challenge:
Don't re-read more than two pages of your last writing session's work. Dive right in and see how much more you can get done.

As for last tip's challenge... Where did you leave off? Did mid-sentence work better for you or mid-paragraph?

The whole series: finding the right time and place to write, all about preparation, stopping in the middle, not re-reading too much of the previous session, leaving yourself notes, and  how to avoid wasting time.

If you're looking for more to improve your craft (or a fun fantasy read), check out one of my writing books or novels:

In-depth studies in my Skill Builders series include Understanding Conflict (And What It Really Means), and Understanding Show Don't Tell (And Really Getting It). My Foundations of Fiction series includes Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure, a self-guided workshop for plotting a novel, and the companion Plotting Your Novel Workbook, and my Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft series, with step-by-step guides to revising a novel. 

Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. The Shifter, was chosen for the 2014 list of "Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read" from the Georgia Center for the Book. It was also shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize (2011), and The Truman Award (2011).

She also writes the Grace Harper urban fantasy series for adults under the name, J.T. Hardy.

She's the founder of Fiction University and has written multiple books on writing, including Understanding Show, Don't Tell (And Really Getting It), Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure, and the Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft series.

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