The following is a guest post from Ryan Casey.
Writers can be a solitary breed.
We sit, hunched over our keyboards in the darkness of the early hours, fretting over seemingly important matters. “Times New Roman size 11 or size 12?!” we ask ourselves, before switching to Calibri.
We live in a world of SEO-jargon, and WordPress updates. Witnessing our PageRank tumble from 18 to 19 is enough to put us in a grim mood for the rest of the day.
Want a wake-up call?
This isn’t healthy. Before you know it, your eyes will be frazzled, and your mind won’t be at its best.
See that cat? That’s my nan’s cat, Fluff. You don’t want to be this cat. Be better than the cat. You need to be at your mental peak when taking on a task as momentous and lofty as writing a novel.
Fortunately, through minor lifestyle changes, you can climb out of this rut and come out feeling fresher, and more confident. I believe that confidence is the key to good writing, so it’d be unwise to underestimate its importance. Here are some easy-to-follow tips for keeping your writing mind fresh.
1. Go for a Walk Everyday
I never pretend to be the healthiest person in the room.
Don’t let my skinny frame fool you: I enjoy my lovely Dominos Pizzas as much as everyone. But, by going for a thirty-minute stroll, once in the morning, and once in the evening, I find it helps me to escape the confines of my writing office and gives me an opportunity to mull things over.
When you get back from your stroll, I can guarantee that you will see things from a much fresher perspective, perhaps picking up on mistakes and inconsistencies that you didn’t notice earlier.
Make the walk a run, if you fancy. Just don’t expect me to join you on that one!
2. TRY to Get a Decent Night’s Sleep
Believe me: I know how tricky this one can be.
After completing the first draft of my debut novel, What We Saw, I got into a routine of staying awake until 3am for a two-week period, or so. At first, it’s absolutely fine, and I am probably lucky that the 3am bug only struck me after I’d completed my manuscript. However, I know several nocturnal writers who also complain about writer ’s block and productivity issues.
I sincerely believe that a good night’s sleep is beneficial to any productive task. Even if you only manage five hours, it’s better than nothing. Try to get to bed at a decent time, and before you know it, you’ll find yourself getting more done in the light of the morning than the darkness of night.
For the record, I aim to get to bed at around midnight every night. Which links to the next point…
3. Get Up Early!
Being a university student, I have had my struggles with this one.
I think many people enjoy the ‘idea’ of getting up early, but I’d be interested to see how many of those carry it through. It requires an enormous amount of willpower to overcome if, like me, you are of a formerly lazy mentality.
But, by getting out of bed as soon as your alarm clock goes off, you’ll feel much better over the course of the day.
Jeff Goins wrote a great piece on this a few weeks back. The question you have to ask yourself is simple: ten minutes of grogginess or an afternoon of feeling guilty for wasting all that precious potential writing time? I know which I prefer.
4. Stay Social
As much as I love it, social media doesn’t count.
It’s important to keep in touch with your friends and family during intense periods of writing. I realise how easy it may be to cast them aside; I’ve done it myself. It’s fine to be busy, and if your friends are loyal ones, they will understand that, and support you. Just make sure you make the effort to stay in touch with them, and meet up every now and then.
Make room in your schedule for a personal break. If you enjoy yourself, the chances are you’ll be able to head back to your writing feeling more positive, too.
Minor Changes Add Up
I know this has only been a brief guide, but by implementing even just one of these minor lifestyle changes, you’ll notice the benefits on your productivity almost immediately. I’m not going to bottle it and sell it as my ‘miracle cure’: it’s simply common-sense advice that has been well-documented in the past, and will undoubtedly continue to be in the future.
So: walk, sleep, wake, talk. Feel free to customise the order as much as you want. Sleepwalking or sleep-talking doesn’t count, however.
For the record, I prefer Times New Roman size 12.
What advice do you have for staying sane during the writing process? Have you ever had any bad experiences with poor discipline in the past, and if so, how have you changed your habits?
Ryan Casey is a 20-year old author from England. He is set to launch his debut childhood mystery novel, What We Saw, in Autumn 2012. He offers writing advice, social media guidance, and documents his writing journey over at his website. You can a connect with Ryan on Twitter and Facebook!
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