Writing a novel is a huge commitment. It takes time and consistency and perseverance from beginning to end.
Imagine, if you will, a rider on the back of a stubborn elephant. The rider is excited to head out on a new adventure, but the elephant wants no part of it. The rider tries everything to make the elephant move — coercion, threats, bribes, begging, and bargaining — but nothing works. The elephant refuses to budge. And rightfully so. They’re majestic animals, with thoughts and feelings and families who love them, not amusement rides.
The frustrated rider jumps off the elephant, tugs the reins, shoves him from behind. Nothing works. If a two-to-seven-ton animal doesn’t want to budge, good luck trying to change their mind.
What if I told you this same struggle continues to play out in a writer’s mind while drafting a novel?
It’s true. Our brains have two independently functioning systems responsible for completing tasks: the rational side and the emotional side.
The rider is rational.
The elephant is emotional.
When these two sides clash, the writer accomplishes nothing. They may work all day, but they’re spinning their wheels. It’s an awful feeling.
The rational rider is small and insignificant compared to the emotional elephant. We can lie to ourselves about fame and fortune or whatever the big dream is, but unless we’re emotionally invested in our goals, it’ll never happen. The field of broken dreams is littered with stubborn elephants.
Numerous scientists have studied productivity, and they all agree on one thing: Having fun makes us more productive.
Pro Tip: Don’t worry about your word count. If you keep checking to tally your words, you’ll add unnecessary stress. Enjoy the journey of crafting a storyline. Block out all distractions and have fun with your characters.
The closer the reward, the harder we work.
We live in a world of immediate gratification. It’s why we’re told to use a universal link for our books. No one wants to click twice.
The coffee drinker will buy more coffee when their loyalty card is about to run out. Why? To score a free coffee.
This behavior is known as the goal gradient hypothesis, first discovered in rats and other animals in 1932 by Clark Hull PhD. The same holds true for humans. The bigger the task (crafting a novel), the harder we must work to get the reward (a complete first draft) and the easier it is to give up.
Pro Tip: Break the WIP into small goals. “I will have one piece of chocolate when I finish this chapter.” By rewarding yourself for reaching smaller goals, it builds confidence and joy and momentum.
Making Visible Progress Improves Motivation
Researchers offered participants two types of loyalty cards: a ten-point card and a twelve-point card with the first two spots already stamped. Can you guess which one they chose?
Even though both cards required the participants to buy ten coffees, the twelve-point card was the clear favorite. Why? The two stamps created the illusion that the participants would receive a free coffee sooner. While the distance to the goal was the same, those stamps showed visible progress.
Visible progress boosts motivation.
Pro Tip: End every writing session mid-scene. Doesn’t matter if the words are flowing. Stop. The next morning, it’s much easier to finish a scene than stare at a blank page.
I play mind-games with myself all the time. Once I’ve written the final page of the manuscript, I mark it with *** and keep going. Everything after the asterisks becomes the hook for the next book. That way, I never start a new manuscript with a blank page.
Productivity Fluctuates Throughout the Day
Researchers found that memory, perception, and problem-solving skills fluctuate according to a person’s chronotype, the natural inclination for your body to sleep (i.e., early bird vs. night owl).
I’m most productive in the mornings and between 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. It’s strange, I know, but for some reason new ideas pop into my mind between those hours, so I write in Notes on my phone.
Consistency trains the brain.
Pro Tip: Take note of when you’re most productive during the day. If you can’t write at that time, train yourself to write at the second most productive time of day for you.
Surprising Facts Improve Learning and Memory
Moments of intellectual surprise can boost memory, curiosity, and make you a more effective learner. Also, those who are curious about the world — like writers — and learn on a regular basis (i.e., research) extend their longevity and lower their risk of brain-related diseases like Alzheimer’s or dementia.
A few fun facts that may surprise you:
- Jays are not blue. There are no blue feathers in the Animal Kingdom. What we see is an optical illusion. Blue Jays are gray.
- A Greenland shark born before Isaac Newton was still alive in 2020.
- Polar Bears are not white. Though polar bear fur appears white, it’s actually transparent. Long hollow hair shafts reflect light much like ice does, making polar bears appear white or yellow. Beneath their thick coats, polar bears have black skin that absorbs the sun’s warmth. To a deer, polar bears look green.
Pro Tip: If you’re stuck, research other elements of the story. You might be surprised by what you find. Never stop learning.
All these actionable tips and tricks will help you move the elephant in the right direction.
“The field of broken dreams is littered with stubborn elephants.”
Sue, that image made me smile, visualizing elephants gleefully swinging their trunks and laughing at human writers who lie face down on the ground and pound their fists in frustration.
Thanks for the tidbit that blue jays aren’t blue. The ones demanding peanuts on my back porch sure fooled me. What the tricks the eyes, brain, and nature play on us.
Wishing you a good writing week with cooperative elephants.
Haha. I had a similar mental image but I like yours better. 😂 Isn’t it amazing how nature tricks our eyes? Mind-blowing, really.
Wishing the same for you, my friend!
Also, those who are curious about the world — like writers — and learn on a regular basis (i.e., research) extend their longevity and lower their risk of brain-related diseases like Alzheimer’s or dementia
Yes! I’ve been beating that drum big time since the rise of AI. Work that brain!
Personally, writing to a quota that is manageable but requires sweat is important to me. If I may reverse a proverb, All play and no work makes Jack a less productive writer.
Me too, Jim! There’s no downside to exercising the brain, but a very real possibility of brain related illnesses if we rely on technology to think for us.
I also work to a quota, x-amount of scenes rather than words. Whatever works is the right way.
Fantastic tips, Sue! Tackling a novel one scene at a time, having a series of small, actionable goals really does take the pressure off and help reframe things.
Speaking of goals: I was advised recently that, while goals can be essential in making progress, it’s important to keep them from becoming demands. Setting a quota of X number of words/ X scenes per Y amount of time can be very helpful, but that goal becomes a demand, you could end up flogging yourself throughout the process of writing your book.
Better to make that emotional elephant an ally and strive to write more fluidly. At least, that’s my new goal (not demand 🙂
Good point, Dale. When it’s phrased as a demand (writers and our mind games LOL), it’s much harder to reach the goal.
I’m fascinated by your advice to stop mid “flow”, Sue!
I think, for me personally, I’d only be able to do that when it’s that middle ground between “flow (temporarily) dried up” and “still cranking on top speed” because I would worry that I’d forget where I was going with a scene if I stopped midstream!
But I do understand what you mean, and I’ll definitely try next chance I get. There is certainly nothing worse than staring at that blinking cursor without something already waiting behind the flood gate!
And yes yes Yes! to continuing to learn, to push the brain! When AI,stole my 9-5 job of 10 years, I fought to redirect into a more challenging role because I didn’t want to coast into dementia flipping burgers (or whatever equally simple task might have been available.) The training ate into my writing time, and some days I log off feeling mentally pummelled, but I need to keep this aging brain jelly jiggling!
Yes, you do, Cyn! All of our aging brains need exercise. Horrible about your job.
May your week be filled with cooperative elephants!
Great analogy, Sue. And I love your actionable tips.
Your note about the Greenland shark sent me off to learn more. Fascinating stuff.
I do like short writing sprints. Because of my schedule, I’m more productive using that model.
Have a good week! (And watch out for those pesky elephants. 🙂 )
The Greenland shark fascinated me, too, Kay. If it works, don’t change it!
Thanks for the information. I’ll bookmark this one for later. I write each scene in a separate document and don’t put it into the novel’s document until I’m mostly satisfied with it. I might change it later, but it gives me a sense of accomplishment.
Another interesting bird fact from Google — Many bird species have iridescent feathers, including hummingbirds, peacocks, starlings, and grackles. This shimmering effect is not caused by pigment but by the physical structure of the feathers, which scatters light like a prism to create changing colors depending on the viewing angle.
Fascinating, Michelle! I was admiring Grackle this morning. So beautiful.
“Having fun makes us more productive.”
It’s a good thing no one’s around to hear me cackle like a demented witch when the story starts to work without effort. I know my fingers feel lighter and faster the closer I get to “The End.” I realized that it’s the same feeling I get at 1:30 am when I see the 75% complete mark on the book I’m reading, or the remaining page count is 100 or less. The fun of reaching the finish in writing or reading gives me a second wind to reach my goal.
Haha! I hear ya, Suzanne. I get absolutely giddy near The End.
Blue jays aren’t blue????? No way! (I have a lot of jays at my feeders).
I know you wouldn’t lie but I Googled it anyway. Tis true. It’s an optical illusion. If you shine a light on a jay feather, it turns brown. Ain’t nature wonderful?
It boggles the mind, right? Nature never ceases to amaze!
The field of broken dreams is littered with stubborn elephants.
Love that, Sue!
And I appreciate your comments (and JSB’s) about working the brain to stave off cognitive difficulties. My family is littered with Alzheimer’s and senile dementia. Nay, nay, says I.
I will fight it off with my last ounce of Google searches, dictionaries, and fun facts–like the 377+ year old shark. See what I did there? I researched Newton to get his DOB…one brain cell saved! 🙂
Have a great day!
Every brain cell matters, Deb. You go, girl!