Make Writing Time Sacred (and What to Do When You Don’t)

by Maria K. E. Lahman, Ph.D.

Maria Lahman was the Mentor in Residence for November2021, Academic Writing Month (AcWrMo.) She is a professor at The University of Northern Colorado in the Department of Applied Statistics and Research Methods, where she teaches qualitative research methods. A version of this blog entry was originally published in Lahman, M. K. E. (2022), Writing and Representing Qualitative Research, SAGE Publications. She is also the author of the relevant text, Ethics in Social Science Research: Becoming Culturally Responsive. Use the code MSPACEQ422 for a 20% discount, valid until December 31, 2022.

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I only write when I am inspired. Fortunately, I am inspired at 9 o’clock every morning. —William Faulkner

The quote by Faulkner illuminates a truth the literature makes clear—engaging consistently with writing is a fruitful way to write. In the text How to Write a Lot, the idea of writing time as sacred underscores the need to keep the time protected in an honored way (Silvia, 2007). This makes sense to me since when I step away from writing for too long, I start to lose the thread of what I was doing and may not even recall a section of what I had written. This, of course, is where the use of abstracts, headings, tables of contents, and outlines allows writers to pick up where they left off. These are the signposts of our work for future readers that also allow us to check for organization and clarity of thought. Nonetheless, I have never been able to write on a daily basis.

Motivation and Distraction

As you hone your ability to be a productive writer, it is essential to consider what motivates you and what distracts you. The answers may be light irritants (e.g., noises on your street) or the emotional problem of feeling incapable. Make a list of all the ways you are distracted. Then mark which distractions you can control and how to go about addressing them. Similarly, make a list of all the healthy ways you motivate yourself. After achieving a small to large accomplishment, what could you do as a “reward”?

Timing and Organization

Ideas for using time wisely and for organization can be a huge help, but they also have the potential for distraction. I find that when I try a new timing idea, it works to move me into sustained writing—the sort of writing where I emerge befuddled since I have been working for such a long time. This is the most productive writing for me. Some possible strategies for achieving this follow.

Time of Day

Determine what time of day you are most productive, and if at all possible, shift fresh, first-draft writing to that time of day. If you have a deadline looming or a lengthy writing project, you will also have to write at other times of the day. Writing a dissertation taught me that my ideas about only writing when I was “fresh” and “focused” are false. We can write whenever we need to, but there is no doubt that we write much better at certain times of the day than at others.

Pomodoro Technique

In the advanced qualitative writing course I teach, I invite students to share ideas for making the most of their time or organization techniques they are trying or have had success with. Several years ago, a student shared the idea of the Pomodoro technique—which calls for us to work smarter, not harder (Cirillo, n.d.). The Pomodoro technique involves working in 25-minute stints, with a 5-minute break between and then a longer break after four Pomodoro work periods. In theory, this works for writing also.

Snack Writing

Snack writing is an idea promoted by Maria Gardiner and Hugh Kearns. (For more writing ideas, you can follow Gardiner @ithinkwell and Kearns @ithinkwellHugh on Twitter.) Snack writing lies somewhere between shorter, 20-minute writing ideas and what Kearns refers to as “binge writing”—long blocks of writing that are infrequent. To take advantage of snack writing, identify one- to two-hour blocks of time that occur in your week. These may be unconventional times—I snack write in the car and have the added benefit of being first in line for school pickup by arriving early after my last appointment. Ideally, snack writing would occur three to five times a week. As I move toward a deadline, this is the primary technique I have tended to use daily—even before I found a name for it. I also take snack writing a step further by turning off the internet and all alerts on my laptop.

One Sentence

A final type of writing was shared with me by a student with regard to a well-thought-of colleague’s advising strategy. I asked about a student and was told, “Oh, they are groaning in the lab over their computer.” Startled, I wanted to know what was going on.

“They have to write one sentence for their advisor.”

“One sentence?”

“Yeah, when they start working on the dissertation, they have to meet with their advisor once a week and have at least one sentence written.”

Intrigued, I tried to look this idea up and grilled my colleague about it. I did not find any information on this writing motivation, but I think it is related to the writing advice that suggests you stare at the computer screen until something happens. If all else is failing, this is worth a shot.

What works motivationally for each of us can be varied so please comment with tips and strategies for writing productivity below.

Reference

Silvia, P. J. (2007). How to write a lot: A practical guide to productive academic writing. American Psychological Association.

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