Write with the courage of a lion, the wisdom of an owl, and imagination of a child!
One phrase I heard often growing up in the southern United States was, “My eyes were too big for my stomach.” It’s another way of saying you bit off more than you could chew. I do this a lot with projects. I suffer greatly from scope-bloat. What starts off as a story idea becomes a novel idea, then a trilogy, and finally a multi-generational epic that I will need to finish in my next lifetime. The problem with these kinds of lofty goals is how they lead to a sense of your own ineffectiveness. If you fail again and again to meet your goals, you start to feel incompetent, and then that becomes your reality.
Strategy:
This exercise helps writers develop a habit of finishing projects by setting realistic expectations and commitments. By considering whether a project should be an experiment or a commitment, reducing its scope, breaking it into manageable sub-projects, and establishing a consistent writing cadence, writers can increase their chances of successfully completing their work.
Instructions:
Choose Your Project: Select a writing project you want to work on or complete. This can be an ongoing project or a new idea.
Consider Running an Experiment: Decide whether this project should be treated as an experiment or a firm commitment. If you're unsure about the viability of the idea or your ability to complete it, consider it an experiment that you can abandon if it's not working out.
Reduce the Size: Assess the current scope of your project and consider reducing it to a more manageable size. For example, if you're planning a novel, could it work better as a novella or short story? Be realistic about what you can commit to finishing.
Look for Sub-Projects: Break your project down into smaller, actionable sub-projects. These could include researching a specific location, developing a character profile, or writing a particular scene or chapter. Identifying these sub-projects makes the overall project feel more achievable.
Set Your Cadence: Determine the frequency and duration of your writing sessions. Decide how often you'll work on the project (e.g., daily, weekly) and set a specific goal for each session, such as a word count or time limit. Be realistic and consistent with your cadence.
Review and Adjust: Review the plan you've created, including the project scope, sub-projects, and writing cadence. Ask yourself if this is a plan you can realistically commit to. If necessary, make adjustments to ensure you can follow through and complete the project.
Tags: project planning, goal setting, commitment, finishing, productivity
Category: Manage Projects > Cultivate Your Resolve
Example:
Choose Your Project: I want to work on my novel about a family dealing with a mysterious inheritance.
Consider Running an Experiment: I've been struggling with this novel for a while, so I'll treat it as an experiment. If I'm not making progress after a month, I'll consider reworking the idea or moving on to another project.
Reduce the Size: My original plan was a multi-generational family saga, but I'll reduce the scope to focus on one generation's story, aiming for a shorter novel.
Look for Sub-Projects: I'll break the project into smaller sub-projects, starting with researching the legal aspects of inheritances. Later sub-projects could include developing the main family members' character profiles, writing the opening chapter introducing the inheritance, or outline the main plot points.
Set Your Cadence: I'll work on the project for 30 minutes every weekday during my lunch break. My goal will be to complete the first sub-project per in a week.
Review and Adjust: After reviewing my plan, I feel confident that I can commit to this project at the reduced scope and with the manageable sub-projects and writing cadence. I'll reassess my progress and commitment after completing the outlined sub-projects.