Writing accountability comes in all shapes and sizes, with writing buddies offering support, editorial advice, listening to you moan about the draft over coffee, and buying the champagne when it’s done. Some writers take accountability so seriously they’re prepared to sign a contract to hold themselves to account. Find out about the writing agreement. [click to continue…]
Writing productivity tips
When writer John Lugo-Trebble got stuck with a mid-length piece of fiction, he recruited friends and family to get structured feedback. Using questions to guide their response, he received input and support to finish his novella, and get it published on Amazon where it’s resonating with a whole a new audience. He explains his beta reader process. [click to continue…]
Beta reading relationships are a great way of being held accountable in your writing practice. In this first part of a series on how to shape a beta reader relationship, we look at critiquing partners and talk to a pair of writers who met on a writing course – and have been reading and giving feedback on each other’s writing ever since.
Writing is never going to be something you do on autopilot – it’s way too difficult for that. But there are some simple methodologies based in neuroscience you can use to make you, and your writing brain, feel more positive about finding a regular time. But first, you need to get to know your hedonic hotspots… [click to continue…]
If everything takes longer than we expect – even when we allow for delays – how can writers hit their deadlines? Here’s an evidence-based approach to overcoming the planning fallacy. Going public with my best laid plans.
Some people equate being highly prolific writers and researchers with producing dross. They prefer to constantly refine and perfect The One Idea they have. Perhaps because they think their idea is so special. Perhaps because they think they’ll never have another idea again. Either way, we believe that the best way to improve is to be unashamedly and un-apologetically productive – writing lots, failing lots, picking yourself up, writing more and improving. [click to continue…]
The path to excellence in any field comes through hard graft – that’s true. But research finds that scholars at the very top of their game are also highly prolific, deeply curious, with multiple, unrelated (and often quite bonkers) creative hobbies. So, if you want to be superstar scholar, focus your mind – but never close it. Keep researching, go off on tangents, experiment and play – hundreds of Nobel prize laureates can’t be wrong. [click to continue…]
At the time of writing, the top two trending articles on Buzzfeed are: ‘15 Struggles You’ll Only Understand If You’re Obsessed With Cereal’ and ‘The 15 Emotional Stages of Mobile Phone Ownership’. It’s safe to say that Cal Newport, author of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, hasn’t read either. [click to continue…]
What’s the secret to writing productivity? That’s the question Kelton Reid, host of The Writer Files podcast, asks guests each week. He spoke to Bec Evans, co-founder of Prolifiko about writing productivity, creativity and neuroscience. Here’s 7 things she told him. Listen to part one and part two of the podcast or read the full transcript.
The Writer Files is a weekly podcast that explores writing, productivity, creativity, and neuroscience. Host Kelton Reid studies the habits, habitats, and brains of a wide spectrum of renowned writers to learn their secrets. He interviewed Bec Evans, co-founder of Prolifiko in March 2018 – read the transcript here.
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