I’m a process nerd. I love studying and understanding the different workflows people use to accomplish their work. Since writing fiction is really hard for me, I figured I’d share some of the steps in my workflow.
I can’t say whether or not this process will work for you, but it certainly doesn’t work for me.
- Think about writing something.
- Check my email.
- Do some client work.
- Feel stressed because I really would like to write something.
- Argue with myself over I whether have anything worthwhile to write about anyway.
- Convince myself that my desire to write is a misplaced desire to do something else, like avoid client work.
- Convince myself that my desire to write is the most noble calling and quite possibly my destiny.
- Pace around my room.
- Sit down at my computer and open a text editor.
- Go to the bathroom.
- Sit down at my computer and stare at a blank document.
- Facebook. Twitter.
- Find an article about motivation.
- Post it on Facebook and Twitter.
- Take my shirt off. “Why is it so hot in here?”
- I need a drink. Go to 7-11 and buy an assortment of drinks.
- Scold myself for wasting so much time when I could have been writing.
- Promise myself that when I get back from 7-11, it’s serious writing time.
- Sit down at computer and stare at blank document.
- “I can’t do this without music.” Open iTunes.
- Feel anxiety about how disorganized my music collection is.
- Start finding album art for every album.
- “Stop. Stop. Stop. Focus.”
- Open text editor. Stare at blank document.
- “I need a distraction-free mode.” Tweak text editor settings.
- “Realize” that my room is too messy, that’s why I can’t focus.
- Clean room.
- Sit down at computer and stare at blank document.
- Chew fingernails.
- Watch an episode of Community.
- Admire Dan Harmon and his ability to tell stories.
- Open text editor and stare at blank document.
- Write a sentence.
- “This is the worst sentence I’ve ever read. I think I forgot English.”
- Grab Kindle and read paragraphs from various authors I admire.
- Take a deep breath. Remind myself that I can, in fact, speak and write English.
- Delete the sentence I wrote.
- Stare at blank document.
- “Hey, at least I’m not coming lightly to the blank page, right Steve?”
- Sit back, breathe, and think about the different story ideas I have.
- Pace around my room and imagine the amazing scenes and witty dialogue.
- Sit down at computer and forget every scene and every line I just imagined.
- Go flop on my bed in despair.
- Remind myself that even Stephenie Meyer made it big.
- Remind myself that fame, celebrity, or prestige is not the goal here.
- “But it would be nice.”
- Analyze how my expectations, perfectionism, and vanity are preventing me from writing.
- Journal about my frustrations with writing. And girls.
- Get a text from a friend asking if I want to go get dinner or a drink.
- “Yes, I need a break. See you soon.”