by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
2020 was a tough year for most of us and sometimes the writing didn’t come as easily to me as it usually does. It didn’t mean that I stopped writing and gave in to it, though. I tried different approaches (one of them, working in longhand, I talked about in this December post. ) Some of my favorite workarounds for getting stuck didn’t work so well in 2020…getting out of the house and working in a coffee shop or the library, for instance.
One thing that did help me out was a very simple tool: the basic to-do list.
I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner, since I’m something of a list fanatic. I use them daily for everything from taking care of the pets, running errands, and tracking word count and social media tasks. I’ve also used them for fitting writing into short periods of free time. Lists also help me with layering different book elements in or tackling revision. I’ve written about tips for better list-making, too.
Lists help me stay organized but they also help with overwhelm. And writing a book while handling everything life throws at us can definitely be overwhelming.
So I decided to apply my list-making to my story since I was feeling overwhelmed by it.
This wasn’t like my outlining process. I already had a working outline that I was going off of. And it wasn’t quite like my mini-outlines, either, that I use for picking up with my story quickly the next day. This was more like getting me through the next few pages and quickly covering what I needed to do to get myself there.
It looked a little like this:
Georgia finishes talking about Sterling and Fletcher.
Posy says things have been so quiet at home with Cork gone.
Bonnie comes in like a whirlwind and acts like her previous conversation with Beatrice didn’t happen.
Transition occurs: Days pass. Wyatt is asked by Petunia’s family to officiate at the funeral.
It was sort of like bullet notes on a to-do list. The problem it fixed is that where my outline may have vague spots, the above list gives more of a concrete direction for me to head in for the next writing session.
Have you worked through any writing issues lately? Any tips for the rest of us?
Using a To-Do List to Keep From Getting Stuck: Click To Tweet
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I’ve never planned out specifically what I would write the next couple days. I’ll try that next time.
It can make things going a little quicker. Thanks for stopping by, Alex!
To-do lists are a great idea, Elizabeth. They break down a big task into enough small ones that it doesn’t seem so overwhelming, and that’s great. I think that’s one of the things that we face moving forward with our writing; it’s a monumental task, and it can seem overwhelming if we don’t break it down. That’s especially true when the times are uncertain as it is.
You’re so right…it’s the breaking down that makes the project seem manageable and doable.
A timely post. I’m stuck at this point in my wip and I’m going to try the bullet points to move the story further.
I use lists for everything else, it should work in my writing too.
Thanks!
Hope it helps, Rose! I’m like you with the to-do lists…I really live by them.
Yes, I do something similar to help me keep writing my first draft. I don’t enjoy it as much as editing and it’s a slow go for me. I either write out the basic plot points or do so in my mind. It helps keep me motivated.
Editing is fun because we know we’re close to the end of the project, ha! Glad the method works for you.
Great idea! I’ve floundered more in the past week or two than I have in a long time so I’ll give this a shot. I’m not a natural list-maker but I have learned to use them for that overwhelm. And they definitely help to reduce the panic and increase the confidence!
Panic is a terrible feeling when it comes to projects! This does help to make it seem like a much-simpler task.
Hi Elizabeth – I can make lists … but tend to overdo them sometimes – I guess I’m not as organised as you … something I need to work on … you’ve had a particularly challenging time recently – all the best – Hilary
Thanks so much, Hilary! It has been a challenge, but it’s feeling good to work through it now. Hope you have a great weekend!