by Michele Bardsley

Created on: August 27, 2008

Six Ways For Writers To Produce In Volume

Do you have too many ideas and not enough time to write? Do you wander from project to project with the vague hope of completing as many as possible, yet you don't finish any of them? Don't let frustration and disorganization disable your ability to create viable, marketable works.

The key to producing in volume is simple: Finish projects in a timely and consistent manner.

How? Try these six suggestions to increase your productivity.

DECIDE WHAT KIND OF WRITER YOU ARE BEFORE COMMITTING TO NUMEROUS PROJECTS.
Does it take you an hour to write two pages? Or can you write one page in ten minutes? Some writers produce many pages in a short amount of time, others need longer amounts of time to write just a few pages. Once you figure out your own writing style, you can determine how many hours or pages per week you can commit to without setting yourself up for failure.

SET ATTAINABLE GOALS.
Are you writing a novel, short story, or article? If you're under contract or preparing an editor-requested submission, it will make a difference in how you set your goals because more than likely, you already have a deadline to meet. However, if you're not writing against a deadline, it's up to you to determine:

A. How much time do you have each day to write?

B. What kinds of projects do you want to finish?

Setting attainable goals depends on your time constrictions and the amount of projects you want to finish. If you're writing a novel, and you know roughly how many manuscript pages it will take to tell the story, estimate the number of chapters. If your novel is 300 pages and your chapters run 20 pages. (300 divided 20 = 15 chapters.) Finish one chapter a week, (20 pages divided by seven days = 3 pages a day) and you can finish the first draft of a novel in 15 weeks.

If you have two hours each day to write and you can write more than 3 pages within that time, you can write more novel pages or concentrate on completing other projects.

ORGANIZE AND PRIORITIZE.
Devise a schedule or chart and post it near your computer. Each day, when you complete your daily goals, mark them off. If you don't complete your pages for the day, don't make yourself crazy by adding those pages to the next day. Goals must be attainable! If you get overwhelmed, it's easier to give up. If you find you're consistently unable to meet your daily goals-change them. And remember, even if your muse decides to take a vacation, write your pages anyway. You can decide what to change

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