Bec Evans

Starting a new creative project is such a buzz, but sticking with it sucks. Some people seem blessed with marathon-level endurance needed to complete long-term goals while the rest of us flit from idea to idea. But, take heart! Research shows that perseverance isn’t something you’re born with, it’s possible for all of us to develop grit. Here’s how.

What keeps us going as writers? Staring alone at the blank page doesn’t always work; sometimes it’s about targets and teamwork. Christine Cochrane and Divyam Chaya Bernstein are two writers who recently completed the daily writing challenge NaPoWriMo. They tell us how they supported each other along the way.

David Quantick is an Emmy-winning television writer, a radio broadcaster, novelist, journalist and author of the best-selling writing manual How To Write Everything. He has just published How To Be A Writer which features interviews with famous writers, performers and industry insiders including Jon Ronson, Emma Donoghue and Caitlin Moran. Here he interviews himself with questions selected at random from the book.

There’s nothing like a moonshot to test your creativity. Writers of all stripes love big, bold challenges and research shows there’s significant benefits from stretching yourself. But how ambitious should you be when setting goals?

Productivity is about more than getting stuff done – it’s about doing your best work, living your best life, and defining success based on what matters most to you. So says productivity coach and bestselling author Grace Marshall. As a recovering perfectionist who’s not naturally organised Grace’s approach to writing productively is honest and grounded in everyday reality.

I’ve spent the last hour in an internet wormhole ‘researching’ procrastination. I made the usual excuse that it was necessary groundwork for this blog, but to be honest, I was delaying the task at hand. The instant hit of clickbait was preferable to knuckling down and earning the satisfaction that comes from effort.

What you do first thing can make or break your day. As well as making you feel super smug about getting stuff done before work, having a morning ritual can help you meet your creative goals. Tap into the science and psychology of daybreak to build your winning routine.

So, 2016 is the year you’ve resolved to finally start writing that novel or blow the dust off that half written script. Great! But when research shows that 92% of all new year’s resolutions rarely make it past January, how can you make sure your writing resolution sticks?

Management guru Stephen Covey said “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” If you read this blog you’re probably interested in writing productivity, and scheduling time to write is a great way to be productive. But does it have to be so painful?

What can you do in 15 minutes? Hard-boil an egg? Play Candy Crush? Look at some great Facebook photos of your friend’s office party? The point being that we often waste time – time that Dorothea Brande says could be dedicated to kick-starting your creative practice.