Accountability for Writers

When working on a project, whether its research, a new shiny idea, a revision overhaul, or beta’ing for a friend, it can hard to juggle these demands along with all of life’s other priorities.

I’m a very self-motivated and organized individual so keeping to a schedule comes fairly easily to me. However, that’s not the case for everyone else. And even when I have the best of intentions to complete my writerly plans, sometimes other things come up or get in the way.

I thought it might be helpful to talk about some of the ways you can keep yourself accountable throughout the writing process.

A Good Calendar:

Get a hard copy calendar and write in everything you want to accomplish. Daily goals, weekly goals a goal for the month. Review this regularly to keep yourself on track.

Rewarding Small Victories:

When you complete a chapter edit, or finish a round of research, reward yourself with chocolate, a walk outside, or an episode of your favorite TV show so each small step feels significant.

Write or Die:

This website has proven useful in keeping writers motivated. If you struggle with finding motivation or often procrastinate on your work, this pressure-inducing tool could be great for you.

Sprinting with Friends:

Another great motivator is finding a friend or group to work alongside while you write or edit. By challenging yourself against others, it creates a competition-like atmosphere that can propel you to be more productive.

CP Check-Ins:

When you embark on a new step in the writing process, you might want to contact your CPs to see if they can help keep you accountable. They can check-in once a day or ask how your work is coming along– the last thing you want is to let them down.

Phone Reminders:

If a hard copy calendar isn’t useful to you, set reminders on your phone about when you should be writing. You can even set secondary reminders to check in with how you’re progressing.

What are some ways you stay on track?