In my most recent writing workshop, one writer, Suzy, had a little trouble staying focused for an entire 15-minute writing session. (For my recommended writing process, see Writing Secret 12: Subheadings Help Guide Readers Through Your Content for how I use 15-minute timeboxes.)
Suzy realized she could not always write forward. Sometimes, she had to research because her writing exposed holes in her knowledge. That was easy to fix—a little searching and she could continue writing.
However, there were other times Suzy had to stop and think. While she thought she knew “everything” about this topic, she did not.
Sometimes, she felt stuck when she realized she needed to explore this topic, especially if she realized she was writing for more than one ideal reader. I don't recommend one big piece for “all” the readers. Instead, I recommend shorter pieces, one for each ideal reader.
If you feel stuck, consider these ideas for what you might need:
- A little research to support your argument.
- Rethinking or reorganizing the piece to see what you do and do not know.
- More exploration, especially if you realize you have several ideal readers.
I'm sure Suzy had other times where the 15-minute timebox was too long for a writing session.
That's why I recommended she consider shorter timeboxes so she could integrate her writing, thinking, and learning. And that's when I realized I do that, too!
Shorten Writing Timeboxes to Fix Your Stuck Feelings
Nonfiction writers learn as they write. The more I explore a topic, or even “just” write things down, the more I learn about this topic. So I rarely feel stuck.
But when I do? That's often because I learned something from the last few sentences. I need to integrate what I learned into the front part of my brain before I can continue to write.
(I do that in fiction, too. That's why I cycle all the time in fiction, to learn what the next sentence is.)
The faster we want to learn what we think or know, the shorter we can make our timeboxes.
Yes, this is agility applied to writing.
Here's an example: I normally write in 15-minute timeboxes. If I've already blogged or taught the topic, I know what I want to write next. I'm ready to continue. Sometimes, I can write for another 15 minutes before I need a break.
But sometimes? I can see a thread connecting this topic to that new insight—and I just cannot write it down. I see the thread, but I cannot yet make the connection in words. That's when I feel stuck and I know it's time to change something about my writing practice.
Change Your Practice
I practice with a variety of shorter timeboxes. Sometimes, 10 minutes, or even just 5 minutes. As long as I can change that feeling of stuckness, I will make progress. Then there are other times when I change how I “write:”
- Draw or otherwise create an image to describe what I see. Notice that creating an image to describe the problem is a creative activity and might offer insights on that problem.
- Go for a walk. That often helps because I can let my subconscious do more work.
- Write something else while I wait for my subconscious to figure out what I want to say.
But here's what I do not do: I do not wait for inspiration to strike and just sit there at the keyboard. Instead, I use shorter timeboxes to see what I need to learn now. That allows me to make progress.
I hate those stuck feelings. So I make sure to change my circumstance (shorter timebox, change how I “write,” do something physical, or even write something different).
But the biggest thing is this: I rarely sit in front of a blank page or a half-written page. Instead, I change something about my writing. And my timebox is my first choice.
This is part of an intermittent series of “writing secrets.” Want to learn how to write faster and better? Please join me in the next writing workshop that starts in May 2025.