For the longest time, I could not develop a writing routine to save my character’s life. Those poor dears were just wading in tension and unfinished plot lines for months, years, without ever seeing their stories finished. All because I couldn’t bring myself to sit in a chair at the same time on the same days for a few months in a row.
Well, I’ve found my solution: Stickers.
Is this a new concept? Absolutely not. Has this helped me immensely? Yes.
First, I did not set my schedule before sitting down to write. I let myself come to a schedule naturally. I find this point absolutely necessary to point out, because really you need to know when you actually like to do the thing before you try and structure doing the thing. At least for me, a rebel in my own mind, it’s way easier to continue doing something I was already doing. (Yeah, try to make sense of that one).
Next, my inner child LOVES stickers but never knows where to use them. So, stickers go on the writing days. The Critic gets to track something, the Inner Child gets to use stickers, and the Creative got to write. In theory, everybody is happy.
Better yet, it helps to show when natural breaks come in, and when natural sprints come in. Last week I had four straight days of writing, followed by four days of no writing. There’s a balance – exhale and inhale.
What methods do you use for tracking writing days? Has it helped you be more consistent?
Happy Writing!
Subtle Stories 