How I Set Myself Up for Writing Success

I am a novelist.

Ever since winning a short story competition in high school, I have longed to write those words. With one novel complete and a second at about seventy percent complete, I am a novelist.

I’m not yet a published novelist, but that will come with time as I explore the world of literary agents and publishing contracts.

After many failed starts over the years, how did I become a novelist? For me, as I suspect with most, it was about engineering my environments (physical, internal and collaborative) for success.

The Physical Environment

The first step was to establish both physical and virtual spaces that were conducive to being creative.

My physical space is a small desk and a comfortable chair next to a bay window that looks out on lush greenery. I’m not one to need calming music in the background or certain aromas wafting in the air, though if such sensory cues get your creative juices flowing then make that part of your physical environment. But the comfort of a nice chair and the ability to swivel ninety degrees to watch a hummingbird, that keeps me engaged.

An often-overlooked aspect to the physical environment is the temporal component. Even the most comfortable, creatively stimulating physical environments will have a best-before time stamp. As a result, I consciously write in two-hour blocks, whether the words are flowing or not. I set a two-hour timer on my phone and away I go. If the words aren’t coming, I may focus on planning the next chapter or on editing what has come before. But I will keep at it until the phone rescues me. If the words are flowing, I’ll just write and write and stop at the two-hour mark, even if I feel I could keep going for hours.

This doesn’t mean I write for only two hours a day. I might string as many as five of these two-hour blocks together. But I will always take some time between blocks to stretch or go for a walk or go to the gym.

But during those two hours blocks, the focus is on writing. Everything I need is prepared and ready on my desk, so I don’t need to get up for anything. Notes I’ve scribbled on, coffee, perhaps a snack, it’s all there at my fingertips.

My virtual space is very neat and orderly, a bit of a contrast to my sometimes paper-strewn desk. Each project is saved in its own folder, drafts are sequentially numbered, support documents have common titles like “character arcs” or “chapter structure” or “major plot points.” All is organized in a way where I can easily find things. As a result, my two-hour drafting sessions focus on writing, not searching for materials.

The Internal Environment (or Mindset)

My many failed attempts over the years had one main flaw—I came to the task of writing with too many thoughts in my head. I was never focused.

This approach to writing had helped me in other aspects of my life.

• In university, I would research my assignment, minimally plan, then put pen to paper the night before the assignment was due and allow the procrastinator’s muse to lead me through to A level marks.

• At work, when writing a briefing note, I would research the topic, minimally plan, then write. Things went well.

• In creative writing, I could follow the same approach with a short story or a poem. The result was always pleasing.

But every time I tried to get one of these longer stories out, my efforts would stall. I’d read back over what I’d put on paper and find no logical thread, just the jumble in my brain turned into a jumble on the page.

What was different about A Criminal Act of Heroism? How was I able to write a 100,000-word novel? Well, I decluttered.

Rather than hold the story in my head, I put it down on paper. Characters, plot points, everything. I put it all down and converted it into a latticework progression of scenes. Much like the concept of story-boarding a film.

It was only when that preparation was complete that I began the first actual draft of the novel. And each time I sat for a two-hour writing session, I didn’t need the whole story in my mind. I could focus on just that next bit.

Perhaps my next post will be about the preparation work I now do prior to starting a draft.

The Collaborative Environment

Perhaps the most important environment for me was finding ways to collaborate. The act of writing is solitary, but the entire process doesn’t need to be. I sought out and, when I couldn’t find one to join, established a critique group. And boy, did I luck out.

My five-member critique group is truly amazing. Not only do they critique my work, but I get to be immersed in the world’s they’re creating. I get to help them on their writing journeys.

The critique group:

• Keeps me accountable. They have cured my procrastination. While the deadline to produce the next ten pages to them is, in a sense, not real, I still find myself motivated to not disappoint.

• Identifies blind spots. As the writer, I know what I meant. I’m too close to see all the flaws. They are there to tell me my plot twist was more confusing than clever, my pacing is sagging in places, or my character’s motivation is a bit thin.

• Develops my own critical ear. Being part of a critique group requires I put the same effort into reviewing the submissions of others that I expect them to devote to my writing. In critiquing others, I learn to identify narrative patterns and technical errors that I can then apply to my own writing sessions.

• Brings a diversity of viewpoints. Each member of my critique group brings a different valued perspective. One looks spatially at every scene, one thinks temporally about plot, one focuses on voice, another on imagery. All provide constructive criticism.

  
  

Conclusion

For me, completing a novel was about careful preparation. I’m not someone that can “just start on page one and write.” But if you create the environments for success—physical (including virtual), internal, and collaborative—then completing a draft may be as simple as a paint-by-numbers set.