How To Plan Your Writing

Good writing is usually writing that is well planned. However liberating and wonderful it can feel to simply sit down and just write if you want to create a well-crafted story with just the right mix of elements to make it work, then you need to plan your writing time to ensure you stay on track and focused.

The dangers of not planning your writing are extensive. You are more likely to give up, you are more likely to come unstuck and find yourself up against obstacles or parts of the plot that can’t be figured out, you may suddenly realise you haven’t written in months, and, even if you do finish, the end result could need far more work than if you had simply spent a little time planning your writing in the first place.

So it might be all well and good agreeing that we need to plan our writing, but what exactly is involved in doing so? What does a good writing plan looking like?

When it comes to how to plan your writing there are no hard and fast rules, and every writer is different and will find different things useful for them. However, there are certain things you can do to make developing a plan much easier and more effective too.

Let’s take a look at some of them:

Make writing a choice you make

Before you even start to think about creating a writing schedule you need to put yourself in the right frame of mind. By really focusing on the fact that writing is a choice, it’s your choice and it’s something you choose because it is important to you, you’ll start off feeling positive and in control of your writing.

Make writing a habit you can’t break

The more you write the more it will feel like an integral part of who you are and what you do. Try to write every day until it feels as natural as having a shower or eating breakfast. If you can’t fit writing into your daily schedule make sure you try to commit to it as a routine. Even if you are only able to write for 30 minutes every three days, as long as you dedicate and prioritise that each and every time it will start to feel like a habit and a routine.

Set writing goals

Writing goals mean that you always have something you are working towards so make sure you set achievable yet challenging goals for your writing and reward yourself when you get there.

Break down writing tasks

Often if you start a mammoth writing project such as writing a book, for example, the amount of work you feel you have to do can get overwhelming pretty quickly. Try to break down big tasks into smaller and more manageable pieces of work and then simply tackle each one as a standalone piece of work so you don’t get into a panic about how much you have to do!

Give yourself deadlines

When it comes to planning your writing if you don’t give yourself deadlines you are so much more likely to procrastinate, get distracted and put your writing off altogether. Giving yourself deadlines will help you stick to your goals and achieve what you set out to achieve.

Be reasonable

Remember, nothing always goes exactly to plan so be reasonable and forgiving with yourself when things don’t quite go your way. If you have a little slip-up, simply recognise it and then get back on track as soon as possible!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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