We’re already almost two weeks into the New Year. By now I’m imagining that that “New Year, New Me” motivation has begun to wear off, and you’re looking around your office wondering “how the hell do I become more productive in 2024?”
Well, my friend. Strap in, because I’m going to share with you my wisdom gained over the last decade in this crazy world we call publishing.
1. Re-align Your Creative Goals
I get it, the eggnog headaches have worn off and you’re now weaning yourself away from that fuzzy no-man’s land between Christmas and New Year. You’ve indulged, you’ve celebrated, you’ve done what it is you need to do, and now reality has slapped you back in the face.
At the beginning of the year, it’s a great time to re-familiarise yourself with the “Why” of it all. Why did you begin writing? Why does writing matter to you? Why are you choosing writing as one of your 2024 priorities?
Take a real long pause and plonk yourself into the thick of your Why. Imagine yourself at the end of 2024: What do you want to have achieved? Who do you want to have achieved it with? How would you feel if you didn’t make progress this year?
From there, set your goals. Make them achievable. Make them realistic. Follow the SMART goal method (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound), if that’s your thing. Follow Ali Abdaal’s “NICE” goal-setting method (Near-term, Input-based, Controllable, Energising), if that works.
Whatever you do, find your clarity so you know where you’re heading this year.
2. Develop a Structured Writing Routine
No single implementation will benefit a writer’s career than a solid writing routine.
And, let me be clear, I’m not saying you have to write every day. No. Creating a writing routine in 2024 is about find what works for you, and finding the way that you can create expectations to get to your keyboard and spit out the words.
Find the blocks of time that you’d like to dedicate to your writing. For some, it may be 5am every day. For others, it may be “the first twenty minutes after the kids are asleep,” whatever it looks like, prioritising your writing time and become accountable to yourself if the ultimate way to make steps and polish off those pages.
3. Get Excited
We all know that writing can be laborious. It can be mentally hefty and feel like you’re trying to claw out of sixty gallons of non-Newtonian fluid.
But here’s the rub. Writing can be as difficult, or as fun as we make it.
And I choose fun.
How can you bring some positive energy to your writing? Have you got a favourite playlist that gets you in the writing mood? Do you have a preferred candle or totem that you can place before you when you write? Do you have a community you can jump on Zoom with to hold you accountable and remind you that there are others fighting this fight with you? (Not to brag, Activated Authors has our own spring community you can find out all about HERE).
Whatever it is that helps bring you joy, remember that as hard as the writing can be, there are ways to make it exciting. Writing is all a choice, after all.
4. Embrace Continual Learning
Publishing is changing all the time. Readers’ tastes are changing all the time. You’re changing all the time.
The number one killer of writers in this industry is complacency and growing sta le. We learn enough to write a semi-decent book and we think we’re done. We rest on our laurels and we wipe our hands, claiming that we know it all. This is how it all works.
If there’s anything the last fifteen years of publishing has shown us, it’s that nothing stands still. Every day new authors are finding fresh ways to discover readers and build their reader-base. Every day new entrepreneurs are inventing services and programs to make life easier for writers. Every day algorithms and social platforms are adapting and changing and tweaking what they do.
You must always be learning.
If this sounds overwhelming, the good news is you don’t have to learn everything at once. Identify an area you’d like to improve (maybe it’s description in your prose, maybe it’s Amazon marketing), and start there. Start small, one piece at a time.
That’s all we can do.
5. Embrace Technological Advancements
I can already see you bristling and backing away here. Hear me out…
2023 saw the largest uptick of artificial intelligence technology the world has ever seen. Services like ChatGPT, Bard, and Claude (to name are few) have already revolutionised the way that we use and browse the internet.
There are a lot of horror stories, reports of creatives making thousands by shipping out half-thought-out books written entirely by AI. No editors, no publishers, just robots.
These are the small minority. These are not your competitors. There is still very much a market for books written entirely by human.
However, something that you may not know, is that your favourite editing, shopping, and social media services, have been utilising AI for years. Amazon’s algorithms are intuitive to help you shop. TikTok’s algorithms are self-learning and adaptive. Even Pro Writing Aid and Grammarly have been employing artificial intelligence to provide writers with feedback and critique for years.
This technology is not new. It’s just finally hit the cultural zeitgeist, and it’s here to stay.
Find the benefits of technology and AI. Use services as a sounding board, use it to suggest character names, find ways to create artwork that can inspire you while you’re writing, and then be clear with your readers when it comes to publication.
Personally, I still use human cover artists for novels and widely distributed works.
I also use AI to create images for short stories to entice my readers on my mailing list (without posting them publicly).
Focus on the positives, keep your integrity in-tact, and you’ll soon find the benefits in these latest revolutions.
6. Prioritise Health and Wellbeing
Writing is a sedentary sport. It’s also mentally demanding.
To create a sustainable writing career, one must ensure they are committed to looking after their physical and mental health.
This can be as simple as integrating short physical exercises into your writing routine (write for ten minutes, walk for two minutes), or regularly engaging in more physical bouts of activity like walks or running.
Mindfulness techniques are fantastic for looking after your mental health. Taking time to slow down and breathe, meditate and relax, incorporating rest and relaxation into your weekly writing routine as much as you possibly can, will (counter-intuitively) help you become more productive.
One of my greatest joys is seeing our Activated Authors members embracing rest, particularly in a world in which hustle and grind culture is so over-glorified.
7. Find Your Community
Don’t do this alone.
I spent the first six months of my writing journey solo, and it was only after finding fellow authors that I truly began to understand, learn, and grow as an author. Finding like-minded authors who just get your struggles, makes a difference. Auntie Pam doesn’t understand why it’s hard to think of an Act 2 for your story, and your sister can’t work out why you’re so frustrated that this morning the words just wouldn’t flow.
Writers need writers.
If you’re not sure where to start, why not try our free Activated Authors Discord community? There you can join over a hundred authors all striving to finish their stories and publish their works. We have spaces for book questions, as well as spaces for general life and fun.
What have you got to lose?
And there you have it! The satisfying thing here is that a lot of this advice is universal. It’ll never change. As much as we search for that fresh new stroke of adrenaline-soaked advice that’ll have us rocketing to the keyboard and slamming keys until our books spring from the screen, true productivity comes in sustainability and consistency.
