How Do You Maintain Your Writing Discipline?
Author Bharti Kirchner as portrayed by photographer Susan Doupe
How do you maintain your writing discipline?
This is a question I am often asked. A strict schedule helps. Making a habit helps. For me, it’s writing first thing in the morning. I think it works because I want to write. I want to see the screen fill up with words. I envision a magazine piece, a scene from a novel, an essay being launched satisfactorily. I crave it.
Cravings fuel my discipline.
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Bharti Kirchner is the author of 5 novels and 4 cookbooks. Visit Bharti-Kirchner’s website.
Category: Being a Writer, Contemporary Women Writers, How To Write, On Writing, Women and Writing
About the Author (Author Profile)
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I try to make sure that every day, something writing-related happens. In addition to writing, I’m a copy editor and a fanfic beta-reader. I alternate my priorities. So on Monday, I write a scene. When it’s finished, if I still want to do more, I edit/beta something. Tuesday I set a reasonable beta/edit goal (depending on quality of the work). Once I hit that, if I want to do more, I’ll work on a scene.
Before I start writing a new chapter, I plot out an outline.
Oh, and when I finish a chapter, I usually take a couple of days away from writing to recharge. That doesn’t necessarily mean a clean break. Usually, it means reviewing what I just wrote, thinking about what’s next, double-checking my research, but no actual writing.