Another Humanity

Optimal Writing Routine

Become Prolific

  • You need 2 things : Accountability & Perspective.
  • Everybody is busy.
  • Everybody get unfocused.
  • Distractions happen when you’re tired.
  • Confusion happens.
  • That’s natural.
  • That’s not a problem.
  • Get back & get going.
  • You’ll make many orthographic/grammar mistakes.
  • That’s normal.
  • Fill pages.
  • Keep your sentences short (less than 4 words).
  • The quality will come.

Partners & Accountability

  • Write with someone & Write for someone.
  • You’ll write more clearly.
  • You’ll be more involved & you’ll get feedback.
  • Ask for the specific advice and for questions on:
    • Characters’ evolution & goal
    • Dialogue’s fluidity & depth
    • Settings usefulness & atmosphere
    • Scenario’s consistency & rhythm
  • With who?
  • Collaboration makes your work Diverse & Complex.
  • Your writing team:
    • A friend who is enthusiast/eager.
    • A friend who is afraid/apprehensive.
    • A friend who doesn’t like writing, but who likes criticizing.
  • Nobody is better than bad company.
  • Social groups for writers exist, that’s the least option.
  • If you aren’t satisfied by any of them, we may consider opening 1 in the future.
  • Writing alone makes you faster, your work will become redundant faster.
  • Where?
  • A Round Table.
    • Plan in group (3 to 4 people), divide the work
    • Write a scene each
    • Rotate for the next chapter
  • Larger groups?
    • Split in group of 3 or 4
  • Office/Bedroom
    • If you’re writing for multiple hours get as comfortable as necessary
    • Especially for your back, wrists & shoulders
  • Bench/Public locations
    • If you’re outside and don’t have a laptop, get a notebook
    • Draw as much as possible
    • Take notes

When you don’t want to write

  • If you have a day-off, spend it writing.
  • Have a side-project for slower hours.
  • Fatigue will come, exhaustion will come.
  • They will pass.
  • Fill pages, get going.
  • Write about something that thrills you.
  • The slow hours are boring, play with your topic & your public.
  • If you’ve put every distraction on the side and are still confused, focus on this side project.
  • Draw the characters.
  • Draw the world.
  • Invent a music/theme for your characters, settings, chapter, situation.
  • If you’re bored, you need visual or audio stimulus that writing cannot provide you.
  • Create it.
  • Look for pieces in your repertory & mimic, until you turn it into suitable material.
  • The side project will act as both a barrier & a vacuum.
  • A barrier from boredom.
  • A vacuum for the ideas you want to implement into your main project and cannot in the early stages.
  • Coherence & consistency are not your target for this side project.
  • Here, you develop & execute ideas.
  • Pets can help.

Proper Planning for Systematic Writing

  • Groundhog your writing.
  • Set a time limit.
  • Write for the whole session.
  • Once you have your Scenario, your Main characters & your settings most of the story is wrapped up.
How much time do you need for research?
  • Imagine you have 10 days to write a 50 pages book.
  • You spend 30’/day writing.
  • Day 1 to 2
    • You have up to 10′ to research/plan the scenario.
    • The next 20′ are for Dialogues & Description.
  • Day 3 to 5
    • You have up to 5′ to research/plan the scenario.
    • The next 25′ are for Dialogues & Description.
  • Day 6 to 10
    • You have up to 0′ to research/plan the scenario.
    • The next 30′ are for Dialogues & Description.
  • If you plan to write a book in a Month take a full 3 hours to plan it properly.
  • Spend 3 full hours for planing & research.
  • You could spend 1 hour for each category, but characters have more impact on the public.
  • It would be more suitable to use 90′ on the characters & 45′ on settings and scenario.
  • If you plan to write a book in a Year take a full 12 hours to plan it properly.
  • Use 6 hours on the characters, 1 hour for each of the main characters.
  • 3 hours for the scenario, 1 for each crisis (chapter 1 to 3, chapter 4 to 6, chapter 7 to 10).
  • 3 hours for the settings, 60′ for landmarks, 20′ for parks, 20′ for restaurants & hotels, 20′ for shops & the last 60′ for the Settlement’s services & architecture.
  • If you’re in a natural setting divide your time equally on as many landscapes as you have (Plains, Seas & Islands, Forests, Mountains and Ruins).

When to Write & how long?

  • Self-Awareness
    • Whatever hour your day begins, start it writing.
    • Time constrain will make your writing cleaner.
    • If you can choose, you can write.
  • Week days
    • Side project : 10-15 min
    • Main/Full-time project : 2-3 hours
  • Week-ends
    • 1st Hour : 1st Scene
    • 2nd Hour : Following Scenes
    • Last 20 min : Plan’s consistency

How many pages?

  • Self-Awareness
    • If you did less than 10 pages, make it 7.
    • The next day if you do more than 15 pages, make 20.
    • Do not write more than 20 pages a day, you will under-perform the next day or week.
    • Filling 10 pages a day will leave you with 300 pages every month.
  • Week days
    • Side project : 1-2 pages
    • Main/Full-time project : 10-15 pages
  • Week-ends
    • 1st Hour : 3 pages
    • 2nd Hour : 7 pages
    • Last 20 min :

What to do before & after?

  • Before.
  • Light exercise for willpower.
  • Beverage for focus & clarity.
    • Hot cocoa will provide some extra Magnesium & Vitamin K
  • Bath/Shower to ponder.
  • Reading, if you need some extra material.
  • After.
  • Pause, to refocus & dynamize your mind
    • To take a break, write
    • If you can’t write, write about something else
  • Playing, to test your ideas.
    • Try to design a game to train your sense of playfulness & consistency
  • Cooking, to spend time with your team
    • Eat with them
    • Cook to experiment
    • Cook to play
    • Cook to think fast & slowly
    • Plan a week-end feast
  • Reading, for even more ideas.

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Ananta HUMANITY

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