My unconventional writing trick
how I avoid imposter syndrome and procrastination, plus what I'm reading and watching right now
I’ve been tutoring, teaching, or engaging in professional writing for over a decade, and I finally found the perfect writing trick to suit my work style. It’s the opposite of most writing advice I’ve encountered and clashes with the idealistic version of writing in my head. You know the one:
Waking up early to birds chirping, scribbling in a notebook while the tea kettle whistles, munching on a piece of toast while staring out the window in contemplation, and then typing brilliant thoughts out over the course of two or three uninterrupted hours.
I have never in my life, even before having a child, managed to achieve this pinnacle of writing aesthetics and dedication—mostly because I am not a morning person. Instead, like most writers, I work under pressure and deadlines, in the margins of nap time and bed time, and during precious few hours of childcare. Like everyone else, I encounter the usual blocks: imposter syndrome, exhaustion, lack of inspiration, procrastination, self-doubt.
The most impactful habit I’ve introduced to combat writer’s block or any nerves associated with putting words on the page is this:
I write a rough draft or outline at the end of my work day.
This is no hard rule. I’m writing this now at 11:30 am, smack in the middle of my work time because it’s flowing. It doesn’t feel like I’m pulling teeth to get my words out.
This trick is for those tough emails that give you stomach butterflies, for essays that make you wrestle and wrench the structure around and around, for days when you feel burned out or tired or simply uninspired—but you have to write the thing.
Write your words at the very end of your work time. Set a timer if you wish; I often give myself a mere 15-30 minutes to just write before sending our sitter home. Then, here’s the kicker, close your laptop, go about your life, and return to your words tomorrow, or in a few days. Do not edit, tweak, or reread what you wrote. Just get it out and leave it there.
For a recovering perfectionist like myself, this method works wonders. I know I could do a timed write and leave it alone at the beginning of my work time, but there’s something alchemical about saving the tough piece for the very end of my work day. It’s planned procrastination. I’m much better able to accept the piece as a rough draft, much better able to process what I wrote with fresh eyes in my next session, and much better able to return to the daily grind without my wheels spinning.
This trick may not always work for me, but in my current season of sparse time and continuous self-questioning (early motherhood is a trip!) it provides me with a foolproof escape hatch for getting the thing done.
If you have a favorite writing or productivity trick, I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
Currently Reading
Neighbors by Diane Oliver. A brilliantly layered collection of short stories that weaves deeply emotional, carefully crafted stories into huge historical and political moments.
James by Percival Everett. A sharp retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that’s sure to replace the classic in classrooms and cultural conversations—perhaps even the canon—in decades to come.
Currently Watching
Extraordinary on Hulu. Thanks to Jamie B. Golden’s Greenlight on The Popcast last week, I started this funny British ensemble show, and I’m loving it!
Before I go, here are some recent posts you might have missed.
I like to write at the end of my day after my kids are in bed. At that time I'm so tired I'm half falling asleep, my mind is in between that wake and sleep state, and my internal critic is definitely fast asleep. When I reread it a couple of days later, it's either total gibberish or occasionally something kind of amazing that I would only be able to produce when my mind is completely relaxed.
As someone who often gets lost in the many, many browser tabs and rabbit holes of my brain, I often open a new distraction-free Chrome window when I *need* to complete a task. And allowing myself to "just write" sometimes without a purpose or destination will often empty a few of my mental hangups and help me realize that just getting those words out was enough, they don't actually need to be published, and I'd rather not have anyone read them. Also, I'm intrigued by Neighbors and will definitely be adding that to my short story TBR pile!