Posted: January 13, 2025

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I’ve tried quite a collection of methods for writing, testing out what works for me. Some things were really helpful, others not so much. But that’s what you do, you know? You test out all sorts of things to see what clicks with you. You may be a morning writer. You may be a midnight writer. You may be a sprinter who can work for seven hours straight in a single day then take the next month off with no inspiration whatsoever. Find out what’s uniquely you.

When I first started out, I wasn’t really that serious about writing. I wrote when I felt like it. I didn’t have any insecurities about whether it was perfect. That was the life! I wasn’t so much of a perfectionist as a child, so I got a lot of half-baked ideas and stories completed.

Then, when I started rereading what I wrote, I saw errors that I was embarrassed about. I stopped writing for a while. I even stopped reading. I felt bad about what I wrote because my eyes had been opened to the fact that it could be bad.

It took a lot to get over that. I never really had any writer friends to talk to about my stories. My mom listened, of course, but she’s still not a writer, so it wasn’t enough. I only had a scant online support group—the readers of those amateurish stories that I’d post. At times, I’d get super supportive comments about how much they loved a story or a specific chapter, and I’d be sky-high. But then, I’d also get comments about how my work was garbage, and no matter how many more positive comments I got, that one negative comment made me feel worthless.

Nowadays, I try to let opinions roll off my back like water off a duck. It’s still a constant struggle—for all writers, not just me, as I’ve come to discover. Imposter syndrome hits hard. I’m lucky to now have an amazing critique/accountability group to help me out and review my work every few weeks. (If you haven’t yet found a writing group, look into it! They’re worth the effort!) Yes, I still get self-conscious about my writing, but I’m a lot more open about my work now than I used to be. I’m finally writing again.

Something I know about myself is that I’m an Outlining Writer: a Planner. I can’t just sit down and write a first draft without knowing anything about a story beforehand. I’ve tried numerous times, but it just doesn’t fit well with my personality and motivation. I need something to work off of, be it a summary, a character backstory that has nothing to do with the current plot, or a full blueprint of how the story is going to go.

Another thing about me as a writer is that I’m a Mimic. Most often, I actually get my ideas from whatever book I happen to currently be reading. I adapt to those writers’ writing styles as well. For example, when I was reading Animal Farm in school, I later went home and accidentally gave one of my characters a “freedom of the people” speech modelled after Major’s. I find this ability incredibly useful in some regards, like when I want to write Victorian dialogue, I binge-read Jane Austen, but also very annoying, since what I’m reading directly affects what I’m writing, and the tones can clash. I’m much more mindful about what I’m reading as a result.

As for when I’m writing, I’ve tried a myriad of strategies. I have a writing schedule, like a lot of writers do, and I’ve cycled through different ways to keep myself motivated. I’ve had five or more projects on the go at once to ensure I don’t get burned out; I’ve switched between writing, rereading, and editing stories to cut through the monotony; most recently, I’ve dedicated each month of the year to a different project so I can get a lot done, then refresh myself with something new. All have worked, but some have stopped working after a while. What worked once won’t always. That applies to everyone. Perhaps you wrote a lot in the morning, then something else about your daily life changed, and mornings no longer work for you. Adjust as needed.

What honestly worked the best for me was when I scheduled daily writing sessions with my accountability group. We didn’t do much: just dedicated an hour to get together on Zoom and just write while the others were there. No talking. No research rabbit-holes. Just writing. We checked in with each other after 20 minutes and talked about anything that was giving us trouble, then went back in for another 20 minutes. In that month, I completed my 91,000-word manuscript. (I didn’t write all 91K in that month alone, but I got the draft done, which was my goal.) The biggest help of that strategy was that it forced me to show up, which was always my hardest roadblock to overcome.

I am proud of my accomplishment. It brings me one step closer to publishing my book, and those victories must be celebrated. It may not work the same way if I were to try again, but I know that it has worked, and it’s a method I can come back to. Maybe it’ll work for you, too.

Discovering a writing process that works for you is a journey, not a destination. Also remember that you are not like everyone else, so what works for them may not work for you, and vice versa. At the same time, you as a person are always evolving. What works for you today may not work the same next month. Being flexible and open to adjustments is key.

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