Finding the right way to write (Part 2)...

Ready, steady... GO!

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Getting Started

Prepping your environment & agenda

Start by considering the following questions:

1. Where do I like to write? Where am I most productive? Where is the easiest/most accessible place to write?

2. When do I like to write? Do I prefer the morning, afternoon or evening? Does time of day matter?

3. What type of text or genre do I like to write? Is it a variety?

4. How do I like to write? Do you prefer typing or physically handwriting? Do you need complete silence, music or a little background noise?

5. Why do you write? Or why do you want to write? What are your motivations for writing?

6. Who could keep you accountable? A friend, a colleague or someone in a writing/book club?

Below is an example table showing some of my responses to these questions to help get you started:

Planning (across): Project Type (Below):	Where?	When?	What?	How?	Why?
Blog	At home or coffee shop	Any time of the day but ideally the morning	Nonfiction - travel, personal updates and wellness	Typing with either music or background noise of a coffee shop	To develop confidence with sharing my writing & enjoyment
Poetry	At home or coffee shop	Either morning or evening	Different structures and styles	Typing or handwriting with music	Creative expression & enjoyment of experimenting with style
Comedy Show	At home or coffee shop	Any time of the day	Monologues Songs Poems Written speech	Typing or handwriting along with collaborating with others	A new challenge, to connect with others and hopefully make them laugh!
Nonfiction Book	Planning- at home (for video calls) Writing- coffee shop	Planning work- evening/ Writing- first thing in the morning	Educational topics relating to current societal issues	Collaborating with a friend/fellow writer	To raise awareness of issues facing the current education system and hopefully affect change
Short stories	At home	First thing in the morning - only	Literary fiction	Planning- handwritten/ writing the actual story- typing/ with music	To tell a story/ explore character and situational nuance

The Next Steps

Once you have answered the above questions, you are then able to complete the following actions:

• Prep your work space if that is at home- tidy your desk area, have your laptop or notebook out, have your writing supplies handy! It can also be motivating to have pictures or decorations that make you feel happy, calm or confident. The more inviting the space, the more likely you are to use it!

  
  

• If you don't want to work from home, look at having a bag or backpack that is specifically for writing. In it, it could be useful to keep your notebooks, pencil case, chargers, headphones, along with anything else that you might need. Sometimes packing your (activity/writing) bag the night before is another good way of removing potential barriers.

  
  

• Schedule schedule schedule! Block it in your diary so that it begins to become a priority.

  
  

• Make it fun! For me, it is my moment of calm. I love to have a nice hot drink with some relaxing music so for me that is enough to entice me to keep focused. However, maybe you could try writing in different locations? Maybe join a writing group if you're looking for a little extra support. Or perhaps you could reward yourself with a treat afterwards... whatever keeps it fun and inviting, is a great way to help keep you motivated when the initial momentum begins to wane...

  
  

• Finally, progress over perfection! It's normal for progress to go up and down and perfection is never attainable in creative pursuits that are so subjective! So any step toward your writing goal is a step in the "write" direction! Plus, as you continue your journey, you will naturally discover what works for you and what doesn't- all it takes is a little consistency here and there.

Part three coming soon!

This will look at how we can get inspired along with how we continue the writing momentum...!

Thank you for reading my blog and hopefully see you soon!

xxx