Transcripts
1. Introduction: Do you have a story
burning inside of you but you can't seem to get
the words on the page? It's time to kick some bad writing habits to the curb with some easy, tried and true
writing productivity tips. You can be a productive, prolific writer
without fancy tools for hours and hours
of free time. By working within your existing schedule
and circumstances, you can make your writing time more focused and fulfilling. But first, you'll have to
ditch some bad habits. My name is Crystal Cestari. I'm a published author
who's worked with major houses such as Little,
Brown and Disney-Hyperion. Each of my books have
been written under different yet
demanding schedules. From tight deadlines
to also working a full time job to finishing a book as a single
stay at home mom. Writing within difficult
circumstances had taught me how to make the
most of my writing time. Today, I'm going to share
what I've learned with you. In this class, I'll
show you how to shed unhelpful habits that
are holding you back. We're going to create
a power session which will help you get the
most of your writing time. It's time to boost
your word count and find your way to the end. I'll help you learn what
you need and don't, to be a productive writer. How to develop
writing techniques that keep words flowing, and how to make your writing
time work better for you. This course is suitable for beginning writers
who were looking to set good writing habits and aren't sure where to start. But more experienced writers
may also benefit in trying new techniques to work through a difficult draft
or tight deadline. I've put together a checklist of different tips to work into
your writing practice. You can download it from
the class resources. There are no materials
needed for this class, just a willingness to try
new things in your routine. In the end, you'll walk away
with my favorite tricks and tips to help write your
story more efficiently. No one ever said
writing was easy, but it doesn't have
to be so hard. If you're ready to ditch your bad habits and get
more words on the page, let's get started. [MUSIC]
2. What is Your Bad Habit?: [MUSIC] Before we get
into the tips and tricks, let's have a little
heart-to-heart. I meet a lot of aspiring writers who ask me, how do
you write a book? When I tell them you need
to sit down and write, their eyes glaze over as if
that cannot be the answer. As if I'm hoarding some top secret information that only a published
author has discovered. With writing, there
are no shortcuts. Trust me, I wish there were. But if you're anything like me, one of the biggest
hurdles you might be encountering is
coming from yourself. Writers are amazingly
creative people, but sometimes we make it hard for ourselves to get work done. Trust me, I used to
be the queen of this. Putting off writing
because I didn't have the right desk setup, or the right pen, or the right opening line. I'd make excuses for why it wasn't the right time
to sit down and write. Have you ever done the same?
Here's the real truth. You don't need things to be
perfect to start writing. Writing is an inherently
messy process, that means making mistakes, getting lost, and then finding your way
despite the chaos. That's why they call
them rough drafts. To get the most from this class, I need you to make a
promise to yourself that you'll be open
to trying new things. I need you to commit to your
writing practice even if the stars have not aligned to your dream writing scenario. My first book was
published in 2017, and I've yet to create the dream scenario
I have in my head. I always think writing
will go like this. [MUSIC] But in reality, it's more like this. [MUSIC] We all have bad habits. Are you letting yours
get in the way? Be honest and try to think of any excuses you may be telling yourself that are keeping your creativity
from running free. Let's get started by downloading the productivity checklist
from the class resources. At the top, right down
one one writing habit, you are ready to ditch. Some examples may be, I don't have time to write, or I always have writer's block, or I don't have the
tools that I need, or I need to take a writing class or get more coffee or have
more free time, whatever it is, before I can start. Pause the video to write
down your bad habit, whatever it may be. I think this was a good talk. Let's dig into those
bad habits and see where we can make
some helpful changes.
3. Your Tools: [MUSIC] It's easy to get caught up in
thinking that we need a lot of stuff to start writing. Well, I'm here to
debunk this bad habit. I'm not one to hate on
modern conveniences, but authors have been
getting it done for centuries without a
lot of cool stuff. Jane Austen did
not have Scribner. William Shakespeare
did not use Grammarly. I'm of the belief that
if something genuinely helps you, great, use it. But if you're getting
delayed because you think you need something, it might be time to
move on without it. Let's break it down. The way I see it, there
are only a few things you truly absolutely need
to write your story. To get words on the page, you need the page. Whether you prefer your laptop or a good old pen and paper, these tools are musts, along with a cozy place to sit. It doesn't have to be a fancy
tricked-out office area, but a comfortable
space where you can reasonably work for a
set amount of time. On a personal note, let me quickly advocate for
writing with pen and paper. I write all of my
first drafts longhand, and I know what you're thinking. How can that be more efficient? Writing with my hand might
take a little longer, but it removes all distractions. Notebooks don't have WiFi. A notebook won't let you quickly
scroll through Facebook. Notebooks aren't always
flashing a word count in the corner begging
you to work faster. If you've never tried
writing by hand, I encourage you to give it a go. Don't worry if you
have bad handwriting, nobody's going to
see it but you. Next, there are
definitely things that make the writing
experience cozier, but you could technically
get by without them. Now, please don't hate me for putting coffee on this list. I love coffee too, but depending on how you work, some of these things may also be more like crutches
than you think. You may find it helpful to have a writing partner or
support group that you can bounce ideas off of and
shared drafts along the way. It's definitely nice to have a trusted
partner to talk to. But you'll need to
find someone in line with your vision who can give you actionable feedback
and keep you on track. If you feel like any of these
things are a must for you, think about whether missing them has ever kept you from writing. Finally, you don't need
to book a beach house or snowy cabin writing
retreat to finish your story. It would be amazing. If you have the time and budget, I'm sure it'd be a
great experience. But if that's not
practical for you, and I know it's not for me, you can do without. You also don't need to have an MFA or writing
degree to be a writer. Can those classes help you? Absolutely. But
do you need them? No. Most authors I know do
not have a writing degree. Now, maybe you don't agree
with this breakdown, maybe you're saying
to yourself, Crystal, I cannot get a word on the page without my
peanut butter M&M's. Listen, I get it. But I challenge
you to think about whether your list of needs is actually helping or if you're
using them as a crutch. I used to think that I
had to have chocolate on hand in order to
get words on the page, but it turns out, I don't. Would I rather have
chocolate around, obviously. But am I letting that keep me
from my goals? Not anymore. Take a look at the tools
section of your checklist and write down things that you definitely need
to have to write. What makes the
cut? What doesn't? Pause this video while you
write down your needs. Now, there's one more thing
I didn't mention that is 100 percent need
for any writer, and that is a positive mindset. No matter how efficient
and productive you are, writing is a long haul activity. For example, at the
time of this recording, I have written five books and they have taken
an average of four years from the day I got the idea to the day they
end up on the shelves. Four years. That's a long time. It's likely that
you'll encounter rough patches along the way. I don't think any writer in
the history of ever has sat down and completely knocked out a story without feeling lost, confused, or frustrated
at some point. I'm here to assure you that
those feelings are normal. Every single writer, myself included, deals
with those issues, but having a strong
belief in yourself and your story will
help pull you through. If you struggle with an inner critic who
just won't quit, I encourage you to check out my class on how to rewrite
imposter syndrome. This class helps you develop
a creative mantra to talk back when those
inner voices get mean. Now that we've talked
about writing tools, let's talk about some
easy techniques that I use to keep myself
from getting stuck.
4. Your Techniques: [MUSIC] Some common issues I hear from writers are
trouble with writer's block, perfectionism, and not
knowing how to get started. I've dealt with all of these. Let's talk about some techniques to help you breakthrough. First, what kind
of writer are you? A pantser or plotter? A plotter is someone
who likes to thoroughly plan before
they start writing. This means making outlines, developing character
backstories, and anything else
they need to prepare before the story
actually begins. A pantser skips all of that and jumps
straight into writing, figuring it out as they go. Does one technique appeal
to you more than the other? There are pros and cons
to both approaches. For plotters, having
a clear path toward where you want to go can make
it easier along the way, since you've already
thought through many of the twists and turns. But having things so set in
stone may make it hard if you find yourself wanting to change part of the story
at a certain point. Fictional characters can
have minds of their own, throwing a wrench in your plans. For Pantsers, there is more
freedom to the process. Since there's no outline, there's essentially no rules, meaning you can do
whatever you want. But without a clear vision, you can get lost, adding extra time and
frustration to the process. Neither of these approaches
are better than the other. What matters is
what works for you. Now, I am a pantser. I like discovering
how my story will unfold without planning it out. In the times where I
have tried to outline, the characters
usually just rip up that plan and do their
own thing anyway. If you currently identify with being either a
pantser or plotter, I challenge you to
flip-flop for a couple of weeks and see if it
makes a difference. Try outlining if
you usually don't, or you live or die by a plan, see how it feels to
jump in without one. Shaking things up may unlock a part of you that you
didn't know was there. Maybe having some structure
makes you more productive, or maybe ditching
your plan gives you the freedom you never
knew you needed. I have an author friend
who never used to outline but then was required
to for one of her projects. She was shocked to discover how much it helped
her writing flow. Now she always makes an
outline. You just never know. Whether you're a
pantser or a plotter, Here are some of my
favorite tips that anyone can use to
keep words flowing. My first trick is what I
called can't stop, won't stop. This means that you keep
going no matter what. Struggling to find
the right adjective, write down the first
one that comes to mind and fix it later. Not sure what your
protagonist should say next, write down the general
idea of how they're feeling and rewrite
that dialogue later. One of the biggest bad habits
I've seen is writers who think they have to get it
perfect on the first time. That they have to get every single word right
before they can move on. Every single book at every
single bookstore has gone through many drafts. Mine average about
eight drafts total. There's no prize for
getting it right the first time and no
one would know anyway, you have lots of time
to improve your story, but you can't fix
what's not there. Here's what I do.
If I find myself using the same word
over and over, or if I can't find
the word I want, I write down what I can think of and circle it so I
can fix it later. Remember, I write longhand, but you could also
highlight in a Word doc. This helps me keep
going no matter what. In a similar way, if you can't figure
out how to end a scene or how to
describe a setting, just skip it and
come back later. There's no rule
that says you have to write your story literally, so jump ahead to the
next part you feel confident about to keep
the words flowing. My fourth book had a lot of action scenes which I
found difficult to write. For my first draft, I just skipped them
and I came back later. I knew I wanted there
to be a fight scene. I knew how my characters would feel, experience the fight. By just coming back to the actual kicking
and punching later, I was able to stay with my
characters exactly where they were on their journey and
keep the story flowing. If you know what you want, but you don't know
how to say it yet, make a note and come back. It will likely reveal
itself to you later. Is it annoying to come back
to those skips scenes later? Maybe. But chances are since you've still
been moving forward, you'll be learning more
about your characters, more about how you
want the story to go, and it'll likely be easier
when you jump back in time. Now, this tip may seem
counterproductive to my can't stop once-up
trick, but hear me out. A great way to set yourself up for your next writing session is to end your current one
mid-scene or even mid-sentence. This way you'll be able to
pick up exactly where you left off without having to
figure out what happens next. If you're like me, and it takes you
a few minutes to get the creative juices flowing, this is a great way to help yourself just jump
right back in. Sometimes when I'm ending
a writing session, I even like to
leave myself notes on what I was planning
to write next. Next time, all I have to do is pick up a pen and get started. Now, maybe you're stuck. Really stuck. Writer's block happens
to the best of us. Diving in a writer's block is a whole other
subject of its own. But when I find myself
hitting a wall, sometimes I turn to other creative mediums
to spark something new. For example, maybe
you don't know what your protagonists would do
next in terms of your story. But what would they sing about, read about, or want
to learn about? Try exploring some
creative activities from one of your
character's points of view. Here are a couple of ideas of
things that you could try. What's important here is
staying in a writing headspace, keeping your story
first in mind. Plus if you do make something like a playlist or a mood board, this is always fun content that you could share
with readers someday. Take a look at your checklist. Which of these techniques
are you going to try first? Next, we are going to tackle the biggest hurdle
of them all, time. [NOISE]
5. Your Time: [MUSIC] The biggest factor we can control when it comes to our writing is the
time we put in. Now, maybe you're thinking, "I don't have time to write. That's why I'm taking this class," or maybe
you're thinking, "Every time I do
sit down to write, I have the urge to do
literally anything else." [NOISE] I get that. But whether you think
you have no time at all or you're wasting
the time you've got, I have some tips that will help. For starters, let's talk about respecting yourself as a writer. Writing is a challenging
yet rewarding craft that requires self-discipline
and concentration. It takes a significant
time commitment to get your story on the page. Meaning your writing deserves
respect and attention. But we're all busy
people, right? It's easy to let other responsibilities and
distractions get in the way. When you do somehow
find time to write, it can be hard to unplug from all those other responsibilities pulling for your attention. But when you let
distractions take over, you're giving away
your ability to create and do
something you love. Whether you have a minute
or an hour to write, you need to protect
the time that you've got and give it your
full attention. Protecting your time
starts with removing as many distractions
as possible. This means limiting
your surroundings to the absolute bare minimum
requirements to write. Remember when we talked about
what you need to write, check that list again. To protect your time, only these elements
should come into play. Now, remove everything else. For me, I lock down my phone or even leave it in
another room so I'm not tempted to quickly
check Instagram and then gets sucked
into a time vortex. There are several apps that
can help you with this. I use one called Forest. I also turn off
Wi-Fi on my laptop so it's just me and my Word doc. If you need to research
something for a story, I suggest doing that separately from when
you're actively writing. You can always fact check
or fill in blanks later. Think of this as
part of the can't stop, won't stop technique. I also suggest writing
in a spot where another project is not
in your line of sight. Laundry baskets and
messy kitchens suddenly become very tempting when
you're supposed to be writing. But don't worry, they'll still be there
when your session is over. Finally, tell others in your life that you'll
be writing during a specific time and
that you're not to be disturbed unless it's
a major emergency. Setting these boundaries is the first step in setting
yourself up for success. Once you've figured out
how to protect your time, it's good to have
a goal in mind. Goals help keep you accountable and they help
you see your progress, which will encourage
you to keep going. There are a couple
of different ways to set writing goals for yourself. Word count goals are the most obvious and
straightforward. You keep writing until you
hit a specific number. Many writers find this helpful because it's a finite endpoint. You know once you
hit 100, 1,000, or 5,000 words, you've made
quantifiable progress. When setting a word count goal, be mindful of what is
realistic for you. Sure, we all want to write
as quickly as possible. But saying you'll write
10,000 words a day is pretty lofty and can lead to frustration
and burnout real quick. Maybe you only have time for 50 words a day, that's okay. Fifty words a day turns
into 18,250 words a year. Remember, every
word you write down is one word closer to the end. Set yourself up for success by setting goals that
are attainable. Now that you're
like me and setting a word count goal
gets complicated. Whenever I tell myself, "Hey, let's write 1,000 words today," my brain immediately
counters with, "No, let's not." Instead, when I'm working
on a first draft, I set time goals. During a time goal, you stay in an active
writing headspace for a designated time, whether you're getting
words down or not. Believe it or not,
but staring off into space is an important part
of the writing process. Your brain needs time to
figure all these things out. Try setting a timer to
see how far you get. You may be surprised
how many words flow out when you're not
counting each and every one. Some days I write
for 30-60 minutes. But when things are hectic, even 15 minutes can
pack a serious punch. In fact, I usually end
up writing more words during that time because I want to make those
minutes count. Now I will say, when I'm
editing a later draft, I will switch over
to word count goals. That helps me work through
my edits at a steady pace. Maybe both word count and time goals feel
too rigid for you. What about setting a goal
to finish a paragraph, a page, or a chapter? What's important here is setting
goals that work for you. Every writer is different, but I suggest experimenting with different goals to see
what works best for you. You may be surprised. I used to always go
with word count goals, but then I realized they
were making me miserable. I was always falling short. I am just not a numbers girl
I guess, and that's okay. Now that you've set
a goal and you're prepared to protect your time, you need to make these things
work within your schedule. Your writing is important, so you need to schedule
it in just like anything else that
you give priority. Start by finding chunks
of time within your day. These chunks can be small. Maybe you don't have
one solid hour. Most of us don't. But do you have a couple
of 15 minute blocks? One good place to look for
extra time is on your phone. How much time are you
really spending on there? Do you think you could cut back? I know I always need to. I also suggest trying different times of
the day to write. Do you usually write
in the morning but it feels like a slog? Try night instead,
or vice versa. It's easy to get stuck in
routines and think, "Well, this is what I'm
supposed to write," but maybe that's just
what you're used to. I used to always
write in the morning, but then switch to
late afternoon. I was surprised to
discover that this was a much better time for me. It never hurts to experiment. Finally, try to keep
your writing tool nearby for when you find yourself with a
few free minutes. If you're often
waiting to pick up your kids or waiting
for a meeting to start, this is a great chance
to get a few words down. Yes, your phone counts as a tool if you keep a
separate notes app. I know it sounds silly, but I wrote a significant
chunk of my first book while I was waiting for my kid to
get out of Taekwondo class. I was just sitting there, so I figured why not write? When you have all these
elements in place : protected time, writing goals, and scheduled writing time, you can settle in for what
I call power sessions. Super focused, super productive
writing sessions that help advance your story. Before we conclude
our topic on time, I'm often asked, do writers
have to write every day? My answer is, only
if it works for you. If writing every day
helps you stay on track and gives you the
structure you need, do it. But if writing everyday turns
into a chore, then don't. There's no rule that says
you have to write every day. I personally don't
write every day unless I'm on a tight deadline. Breaks are an important part
of the creative process. Your mind needs to rest
sometimes, that's okay. Do what feels right for you.
6. Create Your Power Session: [MUSIC] Now that we
walked through the tools, techniques, and time you'll need to create a power session, I want you to map out what that power session will
look like for you. At the bottom of your checklist, write down a structure
for your power session. What tools will you include? What will you get rid of? What is your writing goal? What techniques will you try? Here's an example of mine. My goals to write
for 30 minutes, I will use pen and
paper, no phone, all alone in my room, and I will "can't stop, won't stop" to just get as many words on the
page as possible. I encourage you to try several different power sessions
to see what works best. Remember, every word counts and every time you
sit down to write, you are making progress. You can do this. I believe in you. I hope you've enjoyed
this class and have found some helpful tips to help you kick your bad writing habits. I'd love to hear about
what worked best for you so please feel free to connect with me here on
Skillshare or through my other social
channels. Happy writing.
Crystal Cestari, Author & Creativity Coach
