My father, Don Sanders, is a Vietnam veteran. For years, we have talked about putting together a book about his experiences in Vietnam. Last year, we decided this was a great time to get started.

After all, he’s 75, and I’m no spring chicken, either!

Father’s Day of last year, I gave him a nice leather journal and asked him to start writing down some stories from Vietnam. I figured that he would write ten or twenty pages of notes for us to discuss, then he would verbally tell me the stories. This is how I approach most ghostwriting projects.

A couple of months later, when Dad came to my house, he handed me the leather journal. I said, “What’s this?” I was confused and didn’t understand why he was giving it back to me.

Then, he explained that he’d been working almost every day to write down all his memories from Vietnam. When I opened the journal, I saw that he had filled nearly every page, top to bottom. Later on, he gave me even more pages he wrote in a notebook.

In just a couple of months, Dad had hand-written the first draft of the book—over 200 pages! And this from a man who has struggled with multiple health problems from Agent Orange exposure, as well as arthritis in his hands.

I’m still in awe of this accomplishment.

So, the next time you think you can’t write one more word, or you’re feeling a little tired… remember Don Sanders, the Vietnam Veteran, who hand-wrote a book in two months.

Today’s Challenge: Think about the biggest writing challenge in front of you. How do you think my dad would handle it?

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– Stop committing to extra activities. – Stop feeling guilty for not doing more

– Stop answering your email 15 times a day

– Stop helping everybody for free

– Stop starting new projects until you publish the current one

– Stop comparing yourself to other writers

– Stop watching the news

– Stop holding grudges

– Stop listening to people who don’t believe in you

– Stop following people on social media who irritate you

Success as a writer and creative person isn’t really a matter of doing more. It’s also a matter of eliminating the negative and unproductive things in your life so the good things can naturally start sprouting up.Today’s Challenge: Choose one of the items I just listed and stop doing it today.

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If you’re a perfectionist, writing a book can take a long time because you’re trying to both write and edit as you go. It’s easy to get discouraged and just quit.

I know because it’s happened to me. A few years ago, before I got my act together as a writer, I spent a couple of years working on a book, and in the process compiled literally 150 pages of notes. Yet never finished the book.

It’s easy to do when you’re focused on trying to make it perfect.

Instead, we should take John Steinbeck’s advice about first drafts. He said, “Write freely and as rapidly as possible and throw the whole thing on paper. Never correct or rewrite until the whole thing is down. Rewrite in process is usually found to be an excuse for not going on.”

My advice is to take Steinbeck at his word. Once you have outlined your book, try to get the first draft done as fast as possible. This will give you incredible momentum because it’s easier to work on a book that is complete.

You will have a sense of accomplishment and motivation because you have something whole you can work with. You can also see the big picture of the book.

Today’s Challenge: Whatever project you’re working on, try to get a first draft done as fast as possible. Don’t overthink it—just do it.

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Although this podcast is called The Daily Writer, the reality is that many people don’t write every day. They may set aside time every couple of days or once a week to work on their writing.

This is totally legitimate. You shouldn’t take the concept of the “daily writer” too literally.

The main point is to write regularly, whatever that looks like for your schedule. The more regularly you do it, the better you will be.

There is some writing I do not do on a daily basis, but weekly. For example, I write material for this podcast once every week or two. I write a bunch of episodes’ worth of content at the same time because I’m in that mental mode, and it goes much quicker than if I were to try and set aside a few minutes every single day to write or record.

This is called “batching” your work and it’s a great productivity principle. Do similar kinds of work, or write similar kinds of content, at the same time because you’re in that mental space already.

You can do this with email, book content, podcasts, blogs, or anything else. Give this a try and see how it will improve your writing output.

All that said, however, I definitely want to encourage you to write something every day if you can… even if it’s just five minutes’ worth of writing.

Today’s Challenge: Take the concept of batching your work and apply it to some type of writing you are currently doing: emails, blog posts, podcast material, copywriting, or something else.

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I have often talked about the importance of finishing a first draft of your book quickly.

I’m not saying you should be sloppy or rush through things. You should make your book, or any writing for that matter, as good as it can be.

But the fact remains that we all have limited time on this earth. Your #1 goal should be to get your current project finished and published, and then move on to the next thing.

We make this whole writing thing overly complicated sometimes.

Make your book excellent, have it edited, work with a good designer, figure out your marketing plan, and then hit “publish” on that sucker.

You won’t become a better writer by continually tinkering with your current project and never actually pulling the publish trigger. You’ll get better by doing more work and learning from each one, while getting feedback along the way.

The author Dan Poynter was one of the early advocates of self-publishing. He said, “If you wait for inspiration to write you’re not a writer, you’re a waiter.”

I’ll go a step further. Even waiters deliver something to the table.

So, make it your goal to deliver your work to your hungry readers who have been waiting for your book.

Today’s Challenge: Finish that book you’re working on and publish it.

The post Are You Publishing Your Work? appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

One of the reasons why we get stuck in our writing is that we see how much there is left to do.

Let’s say you’re writing a 750-word blog post. You would typically write this in sections—an introduction, two or three main points, and a call to action. So really, this is a collection of pieces that are somewhere between 100-200 words each.

You would normally outline the piece, then start writing a first draft at the introduction, progressing through until you write the call to action.

You can feel discouraged when you see how much there is left to do. One way to break this cycle is to start at the end and work your way backward.

Write the call to action first, then the main points from last to first, then the introduction. If you have outlined the material ahead of time, this shouldn’t be a problem.

When you write the piece backward, you interrupt your normal writing pattern and feel a new sense of creative energy. You don’t have a clear sense of how much you have left, and it reduces your tendency to feel distracted.

For example, I usually produce these podcast episodes in batches of one or two weeks at a time. Most of the time, I will write the last one first, then work backward until I have the first one finished.

It’s a simple way to give yourself a different writing pattern and add a new energy to the process. In other words, going backward can help you go forward.

Today’s Challenge: Give the “writing backward” strategy a try on your next piece of writing.

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Let’s talk about the biggest perceived productivity killer: writer’s block.

Whatever you’re working on right now, you’re bound to get stuck at some point. When you stumble upon “writer’s block,” here are ten tips to keep the words flowing.

1. Lower your standards.

Many times, we get stuck because we’re trying to make it perfect. Be willing to write garbage just to get a draft done, then go back and revise it.

2. Brainstorm ideas.

Use a whiteboard, legal pad, or post-it note. Changing the size of the canvas will often help you get past your block.

3. Take a nap.

You might just be tired. History is replete with examples of famous creative people who took naps to be more productive.

4. Take a walk.

When you walk, the blood circulates in your body more, and you’re more alert and attentive. It’s amazing how many problems get solved in your head just by walking for ten or twenty minutes.

5. Play with a toy.

I keep a couple of fidget spinners on my desk. One’s in the shape of Captain America’s shield, and the other is in the shape of Thor’s hammer. It’s amazing how playing with these for a couple of minutes helps me solve writing problems.

6. Drink a glass of water.

Most of us are dehydrated, and the water helps refresh your body and mind. Plus, it gives you a much-needed break in activity.

7. Free write for three minutes.

Free writing is just letting your hand write whatever comes to mind without stopping or judging yourself. It clears your creative palate and lets your subconscious take over for a bit.

8. Switch locations.

Go to another desk or another part of the house. Or you can go somewhere else entirely, like the library or coffee shop. The change in scenery will spark your creativity.

9. Switch media.

If you write on a computer, switch to a legal pad or journal. Use a different writing tool like a marker or crayon. You’re helping your brain to make a switch that will break the block.

10. Read for ten minutes.

Preferably, read something in print. The change in media, and also holding something tactile, will give your brain a new input.

If you’re feeling blocked or a little stuck, these tips can make a big difference!

Today’s Challenge: Choose one of these tips to help you conquer writer’s block today.

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What did he mean by that?

He meant that the most successful people are not necessarily the smartest or the most creative. What really makes the difference is that they find ways to be more effective.

Many books, workshops, podcasts, and academic programs have been created to help writers be more effective. But here’s one simple way to achieve much more while working less.

It is repurposing your writing.

Here’s how it works: take the primary way you produce content and then use it in several different places.

If you write blog posts, you can repurpose these into book chapters, email newsletters, social media posts, podcast episodes, videos, speeches, courses, and so forth.

Don’t worry about people seeing your material in more than one place. People who like your content will appreciate hearing it more than once.

Remember that not everyone will see your content in every format. People who watch your videos are generally not the same group that will listen to your podcast or read your blog posts, and so forth.

This is one of the best ways to work less and achieve more!

Today’s Challenge: Try repurposing some material this week and watch how it connects with different groups. You will work less but get more mileage out of your material.

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Like other introverts, I feel worn down by interacting with people. I love people. I truly do (well, most of them!). But we introverts are wired to get our energy from being alone.

As a result, all the conversations that happen during the week leave me pretty mentally depleted by the time Friday rolls around.

So, for the last year or so, I have kept a strict rule: I try not to do any calls or meetings on Fridays.

It has been a massive help knowing that I can do work on Fridays and don’t need to expend emotional energy on conversations. This is my mental “safe zone.”

I used to feel guilty about this, as if being an introvert was a weakness. But I have come to not just accept, but CELEBRATE, the way I’m wired.

It’s important for you to put guard rails around your emotional wiring. If you don’t protect your gift, you will burn out and kill the very thing that makes you so valuable.

I admit that once in a great while, I will do a call on a Friday if it’s absolutely necessary. But I make sure Friday is blocked off on my Calendly calendar. In addition, I steer people toward meetings on Mondays, Tuesday, or Thursdays if possible.

Even if I’m feeling depleted during the week, I can relax knowing that Friday is a day when I can be my introverted self. I can reserve all my energy for writing and other work.

Today’s Challenge: If you’re feeling burned out or mentally depleted, take a look at your schedule. You might need to build a mental safe zone into your week.

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