(?) Question from Jill:
How much time should a person devote each day towards writing, and what basic things should be focused on?
(!) Answer from H.D. Lail:
There is no standard amount of time per day. It varies with the individual.
The most important thing to remember is that you are writing EVERY day.
Some people only have a few free minutes a day, while others write on a full-time basis. If you work WITH your particular schedule instead of AGAINST it, you will get more accomplished.
Rather than obsess over the amount of time spent writing, set a goal for the amount of words written. This way, you aren’t sitting there watching the minutes tick by.
Some people set goals by the page. Others do it by the word. Whatever you do, make sure these goals are realistic.
Don’t expect to write a chapter each day, with revisions. The quickest way to sabotage your writing career is to set unattainable goals.
What should you focus on?
The obvious answer would be to simply meet your daily word quota. But, I find it also helps to schedule specific tasks (in addition to meeting my quota), such as conducting research for a topic or making phone calls.
Sometimes my focus is to tackle paperwork left over from the previous month. But whatever the task, by the end of the day I am able to quantify how much progress I’ve made.
Here’s an excellent daily affirmation:
Focus on writing often and writing well. If you can master these two simple things, the rest of the pieces will fall neatly into place.
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