It’s December and traditionally for me, things get a bit quieter on the work front.
This expected seasonal shift in my client work offers a nice creative break while freeing me up to do one of the things I especially enjoy: feature writing.
I love feature writing. But I’ll admit that it’s hard work. Very hard work.
Harder for me than copywriting (though equally rewarding.)
Like copywriting—or any writing for that matter—feature writing requires appropriate research, thoughtful word choice, and careful self-editing. Unlike copywriting, it’s far more time intensive for me. So, I’ve worked at developing these high-quality, high-volume feature writing habits.
- Make a project plan. I’m a big proponent of chunking time into manageable work sessions. Start with your deadline and work backward, blocking out time on the calendar for the project, which may include research, writing, editing and approvals.
- Set a daily minimum. Break your project plan into daily tasks. You define “daily,” whether it be Monday through Friday, three days a week or every other week for a month. (Whatever your project plan and temperament will allow.) Set a must-do word count or amount of time, such as 500 words, 45 minutes, or multiple one-hour sessions. Just make sure it’s something you can achieve or exceed.
- Seek solitude. As much as I love music and television and the creative energy of amazing colleagues, I do my best work in absolute quiet. Pulitzer Prize finalist Jonathan Franzen recently said that when he writes, he isolates himself—no Internet, no telephone, dark, cold and quiet. Although we think we can multitask and be efficient, I urge you to try for as much solitude as possible when writing.
- Find comfort. Jonathan Franzen may like it cold, I, however, do not. I much prefer cheeks in chair, feet planted on the ground in my office or, sometimes, on a recliner couch with a blanket, laptop desk and cat napping nearby. It’s been reported that Truman Capote wrote lying down with cigarette and drink in hand. While not the healthiest of habits, I say find whatever works for you.
- Get in the zone. To be “in the zone” is to be in a mental state in which you’re fully immersed and focused. It’s easy to work in the zone for a short period of time (see habit #2) and if you’re not distracted (see habit #3). Get in the zone quickly by developing a set of writing rituals or go-to practices that put and keep you in the mood and mindset for writing. Mine include clearing the clutter off my desk, making a most important task list, and setting up a Word document. Other ideas include listening to music, fixing a cup of tea and journaling. You’ll have to experiment to find your own, but a writing ritual is anything that relaxes and prepares you for being fully focused on writing, writing, writing.
- Enjoy a break. As much as you may want (or need) to write for long stretches at a time, it’s better to take short, frequent breaks. Go for a walk, shoot the breeze with a colleague, hit the gym, tend to the family, whatever will be a mental and physical break. Keep it short, though, and make sure to leave your writing at a point that will be easy and fun to come back to. For example, I started writing this newsletter yesterday and had everything done but the specifics of the 7 habits. It was easy for me to jump in today to finish because I knew what the habits were.
- Take care. Writing well requires feeling well. Keep your body in check with plenty of rest, exercise, proper nutrition, water, and even an annual vacation. Studies show that caring for these areas of your life can help improve creativity, focus and mental energy. And that’s just gotta be good for the craft.