by Chris Smith | Jul 1, 2020
Writing routines, plans and strategies work for writers because they reduce the mental energy involved in finding the time to write or making yourself focus. They help you do the thing you want to do with less stress and anxiety – and long term that helps you...
by Chris Smith | May 19, 2020
You want to feel proud of your writing – of course you do. High standards are admirable. Attention to detail is necessary. But as Voltaire said, “the perfect is the enemy of the good”. When diligence tips over into perfectionist nit picking, guilt...
by Chris Smith | Apr 28, 2020
If you’re safe and well, lockdown might seem like the perfect opportunity to write – all that time you never had – but in reality, keeping your focus can be tough. There are new interruptions and we get distracted by anxious thoughts. If you want to...
by Chris Smith | Apr 15, 2020
The idea behind a writing sprint is to move your project forwards quickly over a short, intense burst of time. A sprint’s not so very different from a writing splurge or binge, but it’s more focussed and less migraine-inducing. It follows a direction and...
by Chris Smith | Feb 11, 2020
Remember when you loved your writing project? When your writing relationship was fresh and exciting. You’d bounce out of bed longing to spend time with it. Now you can’t bear to be in the same room. It’s become a slog. You’re not even sure it’s a project worth saving...