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In order to have a productive writing session, you have to be physically, mentally, and emotionally prepared for success. Here’s how to do just that.
By Nico Ryan
As an academic, editor, ghostwriter, and philosopher, I’ve written several million words over the past 15+ years.
During this time I’ve developed a keen sense of what I should and shouldn’t do in order to create the conditions within which to produce an effective writing session.
I’ve experimented with many different strategies and approaches, but four methods in particular have proven to be especially useful to me as a writer.
Each of these practices is designed to help you feel your best and to think as clearly as possible so you can write to the best of your ability.
The following four habits have been crucial to my success as a writer over the past 15 years; I strongly encourage you to incorporate at least some of them into your own daily routine.
1. Block Out All Distractions
Here are three defining facts about writing:
- Writing is intellectually demanding (yet highly rewarding);
- Great writing is the product of focused attention and ‘hard thinking’; and
- It’s extremely easy to (allow oneself to) become distracted whilst writing.
Writing is the externalization of thinking, with the result being that exceptional writing is fundamentally grounded in exceptional thinking.
It’s impossible to think clearly — and therefore to write coherently, intelligibly, and persuasively — in the presence of ongoing distractions.
Blocking out potential interruptions is essential to my workflow as a writer, and I suspect it is to others’ as well, even if they don’t recognize or admit it.
Writing and multitasking simply don’t mix well together.
This is true whether you’re intending to multitask (e.g., writing a blog post and watching an episode of A Game of Thrones at the same) or the multitasking is being ‘forced’ upon you (e.g., trying to write an essay whilst the people next to you engage in loud conversation).
Science confirms multitasking should generally be avoided because it’s very difficult, if not impossible, to effectively participate in two or more tasks at the same time: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Here’s how to block out potential distractions and stay ‘in the zone’ when writing:
- Write by yourself in a quiet area — not with others in a busy café or with a friend in front of the television or with a ‘study group’ on the chatting-permitted-on-this-floor area of the library;
- Turn off your phone or put in on Airplane Mode — if necessary, put your phone somewhere that’s completely out of reach (e.g., in another room);
- Listen to music or concentration-promoting soundscapes — for the past year or so I’ve been listening to this, this, or this whenever I work; I find this kind of music very calming and focus-inducing (as opposed to music with lyrics, which I find very distracting);
- Keep only the bare minimum number of tabs open in your web browser — everything except what you absolutely need to write should be closed (no Twitter, Reddit, CNN, etc.); the only tabs I have open in my browser whilst writing are Thesaurus.com, Title Capitalization Tool, Oxford English Dictionary, and Medium TOC.
- Use a ‘focus’ app like SelfControl, Freedom, Cold Turkey, AppBlock, or FocusWriter.
2. Write In A Comfortable Environment
There are two things about which I’m especially picky: where I sleep (a topic for another day) and where I work.
Given that writing is such an intellectually intense undertaking, I’m strict about the kinds of environments in which I’m willing to work.
I like to do everything I can to enhance my physical comfort so the only thing on which I have to focus is my writing.
Here are some practical tips for creating a calm, inviting, and supportive work environment:
- Use a comfortable, high-quality chair — virtually every one of us now spends too many hours seated each day. In order to minimize the health problems associated with extended periods of sitting, purchase and use a high-quality, ergonomic chair — it really is worth the money. Also, be sure to walk around for a couple of minutes at least once every hour;
- Keep the temperature of your room relatively cool — there are many debates about the optimum working temperature, but my personal experience suggests that somewhere around 20 degrees Celsius is best for promoting hard work and concentration. Defaulting to slightly too cool rather than slightly too warm is the way to go because cool temperatures will help you stay awake whilst warm temperatures will make the lure of a nap too attractive to ignore;
- Light a scented-candle — smell is a powerful driver of human activity, and some smells can be especially helpful for encouraging productivity and focus. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on vanilla-scented candles over the past five years because I find they make my writing experiences more enjoyable; plus, the lighting of a candle becomes something of a ritual over time, i.e., it signifies to my mind it’s now time to get to work; and
- Invest in an oversized desk if you can — working in a cluttered space, especially when under the pressure of deadlines, demanding clients, and the responsibilities of everyday life, is quite annoying, if not infuriating. I suggest investing in an oversized desk (or, if necessary, building a huge desk from scratch, which is what I did about 10 years ago). Having lots of room to move about and to store things on my desk makes me feel less claustrophobic and like I’m able to ‘breathe’ more easily, making my writing less challenging.
3. Schedule Time To Write — Don’t ‘Wing’ It
I go to sleep every night by 8:30pm so I can wake up by 4:30am the following day and write for a few hours before I start my day job.
I never decide on a whim to start writing; my writing sessions are always planned.
I find that planning my next writing session always produces better results than if I randomly choose to start writing at some point throughout the day.
That’s not to say writing at random times can’t or doesn’t ever work.
Indeed, if inspiration strikes you at an unexpected time then you should indeed get to clacking away on the keyboard.
In general, though, I’m far more motivated, organized, and productive when I put some thought into when, exactly, I plan to write and into what, in particular, I intend to get done than when I simply ‘wing’ my writing.
You should design each of your writing sessions in advance, deciding on when, where, and about what you’re going to write.
You should also make doing so a regular practice.
Such a practice is crucial to developing and sticking to a consistent writing routine that works.
4. If You Use Caffeine, Do So Strategically
Caffeine is a staple of many writers’ diets and creative toolkits, including my own.
Caffeine, which is found in coffee, tea, chocolate, ‘energy drinks’, soda (pop), and other foods and liquids, typically causes:
- A spike in energy;
- Increased motivation, determination, and creativity; and
- Feelings of euphoria and wellness.
The ‘caffeine crash’, which typically follows the welcomed experience of increased energy and focus, produces the exact opposite effects:
- Lethargy, exhaustion, and tiredness;
- Decreased motivation and increased apathy;
- An inability to ‘think straight’; and
- Elevated anxiety and ‘jitters’ (1, 2, 3, 4).
Caffeine can be very helpful or incredibly destructive to your thinking and writing — it all depends on how you use it.
Most days, I consume no more than two caffeinated drinks in a 24-hour period.
I have a strong cup of coffee with my breakfast (around 6:00am) and then I might have a second, less strong coffee or tea in the late morning or early afternoon (no later than 2:00pm).
(In place of coffee or tea, I’ll sometimes take a half or full 100mg caffeine pill.)
The more caffeine you consume in a given day, the less you experience its benefits and the more you have to deal with its unwanted effects.
Here’s how I suggest using caffeine to help you write more effectively:
- Use caffeine strategically — if you’re exhausted and unable to take a 20–40 minute nap (which is always the best solution to fatigue), have a cup of coffee or something else with caffeine in it to help you ‘power through’ the next hour or two of your work. However, if you feel well enough to write without relying on an artificial boost, skip the coffee for now and opt for (lots of) water instead;
- Avoid consuming more than 400mg of caffeine on any given day — studies suggest 400mg, equating to approximately 3–4 full-sized cups of coffee, is the upper limit for safe caffeine use, with amounts beyond this level posing risks to human health (1, 2, 3, 4);
- Try combining caffeine with L-theanine — L-theanine is an amino acid that boasts a number of health benefits, including its ability to ameliorate some of the negative sensations associated with a ‘caffeine crash’. Combining caffeine with L-theanine can help you enjoy the increased concentration and motivation produced by caffeine but without experiencing the nasty after-effects once the ‘caffeine high’ wears off. The recommended dosage, which is what I follow, is 100mg caffeine to 200–250mg L-theanine. I advise against taking L-theanine on its own if you’re looking to use it to help you work because it induces drowsiness, which will disincline you from writing (learn more here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5); and
- Don’t consume caffeine four hours or less prior to your intended bedtime — caffeine not only makes it difficult to fall asleep, but it also impacts the quality of your sleep by robbing you of the deep rest you need for the following day. Consuming caffeine too late in the day tonight will negatively impact tomorrow’s productivity — plain and simple (1, 2, 3, 4).
Summary
Maximizing the productivity and enjoyment of your next writing session requires proactive and strategic decision-making on your part.
Exceptions aside, the best writers do not randomly choose when, or about what, they’re going to write.
Rather, they plan their writing sessions and they intentionally create a specific set of conditions within which they can concentrate and work hard.
My experience suggests the following four dynamics are essential to an effective writing session:
- Block out all distractions;
- Write in a comfortable environment;
- Schedule time to write — don’t ‘wing’ it; and
- If you use caffeine, use it strategically.