Try at least one of these tips. (I hope you'll try them all.)



1. What's your point? Write one sentence

The first of these tips is important. It took me years before I realized that I tend to wander off the topic when I write. I'd complete an article, then realize that I'd left out vital points. Or the logic didn't flow. Or I'd write half a book before I realized that the book wasn't worth writing.

Since writing tends to morph as you write (and the longer the project the more it will morph) commit to writing ONE sentence which summarizes the article, the book, the sales page, or whatever else you're writing.

Do this before you start writing, with every project, large or small.

2. Chunk it down to eliminate procrastination

You write word by word, and sentence by sentence. So, chunk everything you write down. This has a great psychological effect. Tell yourself that today, you're writing just 100 words of your article. Or five headlines for a sales page. Or making a list of topics you could include in your report.

Chunk projects into sections which will take you no longer than ten to 15 minutes to complete.

3. It doesn't have to be great, it just has to be done

You want everything you write to be good, if not great. However, these expectations will ensure that you put off writing because you have no time to write "properly"/ you're too tired/ you haven't done enough research... and whatever other excuse you can dream up.

Just tell yourself that great, good, mediocre or outright terrible, you don't care - you'll just get it done.

4. Sit down and write, NOW - develop routines which work for you

The more routines you create for your writing, the better. You could make it a routine that whenever you turn on your computer you write 50 words of your current project. Or that you write first drafts in longhand. Or - anything you choose. A romance novelist friend writes by candlelight.

Create your own routines to make writing easy and fun for you. The more pleasurable you can make writing, the more you're likely to write.

5. Be polite to yourself and overcome resistance

What do you do when someone tells you to do something?

That's right, you resist. This resistance applies even when you tell yourself to do something, so be careful with your self-talk.

It might seem silly to treat yourself like a difficult toddler, but being nice to yourself in your self-talk really works.

Try asking yourself: "Could you write (project X) now? Would you?"

You'll be surprised at how your resistance to writing - even longstanding resistance - melts when you're kind to yourself.

So there you have five tips which will help you to write more. Please try them. You may just shock yourself and become a writing dynamo.