I have owned and been writing on a blog for well over two years now and it has meant that I’ve had to learn how to keep productively writing without feeling burned out.
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Yes, I’m not sitting here and writing some huge essay or writing out a novel of hundreds of pages but it does require me multiple times a week to build up the motivation to pull out my laptop or iPad and start writing.
Therefore, I thought I’d use some of the techniques and methods I use or have used to help ensure that I have kept my blog active for multiple years now.
Not all of these tips will apply to everyone and not all of them will even be applicable. But what I’d suggest doing is trying all of them and seeing if any of them stick as this is the best way to pick up a new habit.
Write about something you enjoy
The very first thing you’ve got to ensure you’re doing when you sit down to write anything, whether it’s a blog post, something for work or a novel is to make sure it’s something you enjoy writing.
Blog posts and novels are easier as you’ve actively chosen to sit down and write about those things but how do you make sure what you’re writing for work is interesting?
Well, I would suggest trying to find a fun angle for it. Maybe use some of the extra tips below to encourage yourself and make it more exciting. Maybe make a game out of the writing process so that for every 100 words you get one sweet or for every 500 words you can make a coffee etc.
Have a writing set up that excites you
One thing that helps me write is that I still find my Mac such an exciting and smooth writing implement.
There are quite a few things that make writing on a Macbook so satisfying. Mac OS has a lot of smooth animations and transitions that make everything feel much more buttery to use. The keyboard is very satisfying and never misses a key, giving off a satisfying click each time you tap a key. And picking up a device made of aluminium that weighs barely anything but has the power that a Mac does fills me with such joy when writing.
Recently I also invested in an iPad Pro (I’m not rich, I managed to get a near-new one that’s a few years old for about £380 on eBay – wasn’t expecting to win it) and so grabbing my wireless keyboard I use for my PC and using this to write something out is a fun experience for me.
One of my most significant flaws is I love gadgets. It’s not a flaw in that it makes me a worse person, it’s a flaw in it makes me a worse person! It means I’ve always got to have a techy car, I absolutely love to have the latest phones, smartwatches etc. It’s not a cheap hobby.
However, as aforementioned, this hobby does mean I enjoy picking up my iPad or my Macbook to write something just to get a chance to use it.
If you’re not into gadgets, maybe having a writing environment that aesthetically pleases you would be better. Pinterest is the go-to place still for anything to do with set-ups or aesthetics so I’d recommend heading over there with your preference terms (minimal, pink, neutral tones etc.)
You’d be surprised by how much improving your actual writing experience makes you want to write more.
Set yourself a goal
One of the best ways humanity has found of getting by in this world of ever-increasing speed is to set yourself realistic goals so you can always feel like you’ve got a sense of accomplishment.
The important thing is to be realistic with your goal. Don’t go and set yourself a goal of writing 5,000 words every day or sitting and writing for eight hours (we’re not all Brandon Sanderson). Equally, if you’re a blogger, don’t expect yourself to be able to smash out five blog posts a week (though I did at the start).
Set yourself a goal where it is a slight challenge so you feel accomplishment for completing it but it’s not going to be a huge burden for you.
For example, as I said, I initially wanted to write five articles a week. However, as my blog has adapted to include more social media channels, as I’ve configured my work/life balance better and as my job outside of blogging has become more mentally intensive, I’ve cut that down. Nowadays, I aim for around two or three articles a week and that’s often because I’ll have a book review or two to write and maybe a unique article (such as this).
This goal allows me to feel like I’m keeping my blog active but not always trying to write or publish something.
Jot down your ideas so you’re never lacking ideas
Some days you may have a revelation and come up with six new blog post ideas or you may have sussed that moment in your novel and worked out where you want it to go next.
I use the Notes app on my phone to jot down any ideas that randomly come to my head throughout the day for my blog. This could be the exact same if you come up with some new plot ideas for your book.
This means that when you come to sit down to write, you don’t have a mind blank and nothing to put down – you can refer to your notes and see what you should be writing next and get straight into it.
Reward yourself for writing
This one is one I’m a big fan of. Why not just reward yourself for writing? I kind of covered it above but sometimes the best motivator to do anything that you may find a bit of an obstruction is to go ahead and give yourself something as a reward afterwards.
There are two ways of doing this: every 1,000 words or every blog post is a break, a coffee or a small snack. Or, set a larger goal and then reward yourself with something bigger. It all depends on what your priorities are and how keen you are to get things done.
The reward has to be something you enjoy too. You could use: if I write for three hours, I can play games for three hours. Or if I write for three hours, I can sunbathe for three hours. Etc.
Use the Pomodoro technique
Have you heard of the Pomodoro technique? It’s essentially the idea of working for a certain period of time and then having regular set breaks.
Generally, it’s work for 25 minutes of work and then a 5-minute break. And then you repetitively do this until you’ve completed your task.
It’s a great technique for people who find themselves constantly distracted as it allows you to know that you’ve got a break coming up that you can take. It’s perfect for those with ADHD too where you can’t sit down for extended periods of time and need to get up just to walk around.
Let me know if these help…
I’m not going to sit here and say I’m an expert at writing but after writing for a blog for over two years and doing a lot of writing for my job, I have worked out some techniques that help me get through the day.
More importantly, though I’d love to know if any of these techniques help you! If you find yourself using one of the above techniques to improve your writing or just to make writing more fun, please let me know as I love hearing that sort of feedback.
Make sure you go and follow me on all of my social media channels too.
Also, if you have any tips of your own that keep your motivation for writing up, do let me know them as I’d love to be able to offer others more help on this.
