Are you having trouble staying productive when you sit down to write? If so, you're not alone. Many writers struggle with finding the motivation to keep writing, especially when they're not seeing immediate results.
However, there are a few simple things you can do to boost your productivity and get those words flowing again.
- Here Are 12 Tips For Boosting Writing Productivity
- 1. Realistic Goal Setting
- 2. Set a Time Limit
- 3. Create a Writing Schedule and Stick to It
- 4. Find A Writing Safe Space
- 5. Put Away All Distractions Before You Start Writing.
- 6. Get Into the Habit of Writing Regularly
- 7. Take a Break!
- 8. Change Up Your Writing Environment
- 9. Write Down Exactly What You Want To Achieve And Why
- 10. Find an Accountability Partner
- 11. Take Advantage of Technology
- 12. Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable
- 5 Writing Productivity Tools & Apps To Try Today
Here Are 12 Tips For Boosting Writing Productivity
1. Realistic Goal Setting
Set realistic goals for each writing session and then break those goals down into smaller tasks. For example, if your goal is to write 500 words, break that down into five 100-word sections. This will help you feel less overwhelmed and make it easier to stay on track.
Likewise, if your task is 50,000 words, breaking that up into smaller goals of 1,000 words each can help you stay motivated and satisfied with your progress.
2. Set a Time Limit
One of the best ways to boost writing productivity is to set a time limit. If you find yourself getting bogged down in details or struggling to stay focused, set a timer for a specific amount of time and work on your writing until the timer goes off.
This will help you stay on track and keep your mind from wandering. You'll be less likely to get sidetracked and you'll be more likely to get your writing done on time.
3. Create a Writing Schedule and Stick to It
Any writer will tell you that one of the most important things you can do for your writing productivity is to create a writing schedule and stick to it.
Even if you can only commit to writing for a few minutes each day, making it a regular part of your routine will help to get the creative juices flowing and set you on the path to success.
And if you find that you need more time to really get into the flow of writing, then try setting aside a few hours each week to devote to your craft. The important thing is to be consistent and make writing a priority in your life.
If you can do that, then you'll be well on your way to meeting your writing goals.
4. Find A Writing Safe Space
Find a comfortable place to write where you won't be interrupted or distracted. This could be a quiet room in your house, a coffee shop, or even a park bench. Once you've found your ideal spot, make it a habit to write there each day.
5. Put Away All Distractions Before You Start Writing.
This means no phone, no social media, no email, and no internet browsing. If you need to reference something online, have it open in another tab so you're not tempted to click over every time you get distracted.
6. Get Into the Habit of Writing Regularly
The more you write, the easier it will be to get into the flow of writing and stay productive. So make it a habit to write every day, even if it's just for a few minutes. The key is to keep the momentum going so you can stay focused and motivated.
7. Take a Break!
It might seem counter-intuitive, but taking a break can actually help you boost your writing productivity. When you feel yourself flagging, take five or ten minutes to step away from your work. Grab a cup of coffee, take a walk, or just stretch your legs.
You'll come back feeling refreshed and ready to tackle your writing goals.
8. Change Up Your Writing Environment
If you find yourself getting bored or restless in your current writing space, try shaking things up a bit. Write in a different room, go to a different coffee shop, or work outside if the weather permits.
A change of scenery can help to jumpstart your creativity and keep you from feeling stuck in a rut.
9. Write Down Exactly What You Want To Achieve And Why
If you want to be a productive writer, it's important to have a clear goal in mind for what you want to achieve. Knowing exactly what you want to achieve will help you stay focused and motivated while making the most of your time.
10. Find an Accountability Partner
It can be helpful to find someone you trust to be your writing accountability partner. This is someone who will help you stay on track by providing encouragement and support.
Your accountability partner can be a friend, family member, or even another writer. The important thing is that you have someone in your corner who will help you stay focused and motivated.
11. Take Advantage of Technology
There are a number of helpful tools and apps that can make your writing life easier and more productive. From mind mapping tools to AI writing tools; there's an app for almost everything these days.
12. Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable
Writing can be a challenging and frustrating process at times. But it's important to remember that the discomfort is only temporary and that it's necessary in order to reach your goals.
5 Writing Productivity Tools & Apps To Try Today
There are a number of apps that can help to increase writing productivity by focus on specific aspects of the writing process. For example, there are apps that help with brainstorming, by providing prompts and ideas.
There are also apps that focus on note-taking, making it easy to collect your thoughts and ideas in one place. And finally, there are apps that can help with outlining, providing a structure for your writing. By using one or more of these apps, you can ease the writing process and increase your productivity.
You can share documents with your team and collaborate in real-time with Google Docs. Throughout the writing and editing process, files can be saved and sent online. You can share documents and files within and outside your organization, depending on your settings.
In addition to reducing redundant documents, it minimizes miscommunication between team members. The benefit of using Google Sheets is that it lets you import CSV files, making it easy to keep all of your documents in one place.
There is also a comment feature in Google Docs that allows you to highlight and make notes about a specific piece of text. It will also trigger an email notification if comments are directed at specific users so that everyone will be aware of what is happening.
It is Google's policy to ensure that the owner of a document decides who has the right to edit it, in order to protect their privacy and security. Documents can be downloaded as PDF files and edited online using an online editing tool such as Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Best For:
Collaborating on documents
Download For:
iOS and Android
Cost:
Free
Using the GTD (Getting Things Done) method, FacileThings helps authors organize and manage their daily tasks. By following the GTD Method, you can reach maximum productivity without feeling stressed or anxious by keeping your mind free and feeling like everything is under control.
Use FacileThings to incorporate GTD practices into your daily routine, which guides you through the learning process. With their mobile app, you can take it wherever you go since it is compatible with most mobile platforms.
Moreover, the app is integrated across a number of the most popular platforms, making it possible for users to import relevant data straight from other top platforms.
Best For:
GTD Method
Download For:
iOS and Android
Cost:
You can try it for free for 30 days. Buying multiple months of a subscription will save you money. A monthly subscription starts at $12.
The Due app helps authors organize their schedules and add due dates to them. You will love this app if you forget things a lot and need extra help with remembering when things need to be done. As notifications come up about a specific item, users can select when they want to receive them, snooze or dismiss them.
What could be better than that? Well, despite all the pings and nudges Due sends you, the task won't be marked complete unless you mark it complete. These reminders can be easily snoozed or changed right from the notification itself, so you don't even have to open the app.
In addition, the Due App synchronizes seamlessly with your Apple iPhone, Windows desktop, and Apple Watch which ensures that you will never miss a reminder in the future.
Best For:
Setting due date reminders
Download For:
iPhone and Mac Desktop
Cost:
$14.99 for the desktop app and $6.99 for the mobile app
If you plan on going direct to publish-wide, this app will become a lifesaver for you as you will need to keep track of your logins for all the marketplaces. In addition to helping you organize your digital passwords, Last Pass keeps your information secure by consolidating all of your passwords in one place.
As an author who is always on the go with signings, family activities, and writing, you will appreciate Last Pass's mobile app, which doubles as a browser extension.
Best of all, you can sync your Last Pass passwords across all devices when you download the app for your tablet or smartphone. With Last Pass, you can streamline the process of filling out accounts on mobile devices by utilizing the automated app fill function.
It's easier than ever to access your information with Last Pass with your fingerprint swipe. Depending on how you want to use Last Pass, you can create a personal or business account.
Best For:
Storing and managing passwords
Download For:
Browser extension, iOS, and Android
Cost:
Syncing across devices is not available with the Last Pass free plan. Using a premium plan for personal use costs $3 per month while using a business plan costs $4 per month.
- Scrivener - The Ultimate Writing Tool
In terms of writing software, Scrivener has a lot to offer. It is very robust and complex. If you can figure out how to work Scrivener, which was designed to be a one-stop solution for writers of all skill levels, you'll find it to come with a wide variety of useful features if you know what you're doing.
Its flexibility, which allows you to compose your text in any order, in sections that are as large or small as you need, means Scrivener can be used for long writing projects. Are you stuck on where to apply a great idea? The place for inspiration will be found later. Write when inspiration strikes. Let your manuscript grow organically, one idea at a time until it reaches its full potential.
The Scrivener environment works no matter how you work: plan before you write, hammer out a draft and then restructure later. You can also combine both methods. You can easily manage your projects in Scrivener's project outline. By dragging and dropping, you can turn Chapter Four into Chapter One and work with an overview of your manuscript.
Are you looking for research? It is always handy to have your background material in front of you in Scrivener. Use a photograph as the basis for your description. Interviews need to be transcribed. Whenever you read a PDF file or visit a website, make notes. Compare the current chapter to an older one to ensure consistency.
Whenever you are ready to share your work with the world, build everything into a single document that can be printed, self-published, or exported to plain text, Final Draft PDF, or Word. Even if you don't follow submission guidelines, you can still share using different formatting.
Best For:
Writing, Outlining & Plot Organization
Download for:
Windows, Mac, and iOS.
Cost:
We offer a free one-month enterprise trial, a Premium subscription for $2.5 per user, and a Business subscription for $5 per user.
