Are These 5 Things Blocking Your Writing Productivity?

Writing productivity is so important. Stories need to get done and they need to be really good. And to do both requires lots of productivity. Which includes having writing stamina, writing discipline, project management skills, great research skills, time management skills, and of course writing skills. There is so much more that goes into being a productive writer but that is not what this article is about.

Instead, I want to talk about 5 things that may be hindering your writing productivity because sometimes getting more productive starts with figuring out what’s making you non-productive. I want to talk about

You may not know it, but one of these things may be slowing you down. Do any of these 5 things affect your writing productivity?

In 2023 many writers primarily use their devices to write their stories. So much so that nowadays typing skills are very relevant and crucial to a story’s development.

I for one, am not the fastest writer, and one night while taking forever to write a story, I decided to learn how to type fast. And in that process, I learned that I wasn’t even using the right fingers to type.

This really got me thinking about how my typing skills affect my writing processes. Like how it affects my word count for one writing session, the amount of typing mistakes I make, and how long it takes me to complete a piece.

The thing is, typing slowly, making lots of typing mistakes, and using 1-3 fingers to do all your typing ( guilty as charged) definitely slows down writing productivity. You’ll end up spending more time writing your book and editing out your mistakes, ultimately taking time away from the fun part of writing. Which is getting creative with words and writing ideas out of your head.

If I had the most accurate and efficient typing skills, I really wonder how many books and stories I could get done.

Maybe the key to finishing that story on time or fast enough is improving your typing skills: focusing on speed, accuracy, and efficiency.

An uncomfortable chair totally messes with a writing session. Sometimes it’s just so hard to fully concentrate when my back hurts.

Comfortability can often be an easy but really impactful fix. Whether it’s your chair, room temperature, desk height, or whatever, adjusting your comfortability can impact your writing stamina and creative flow.

The concept of comfortable writing makes me think about running and shoes. How long would you run in comfortable shoes compared to running in painful shoes? For most people, I am sure that longer distances are run with comfortable shoes.

It’s like that with writing. Sure there are times when writing needs to get done no matter the circumstance. But I’m not talking about ‘ASAP writing’. I’m talking about everyday writing. When you go to your desk, chair, or room to continue a story and write to your audience. Making adjustments so that you’re more comfortable can make a noticeable difference. Like allowing you the ease to keep creative inspiration and ideas going for long periods of time, reducing the strain on your fingers, hands, or back.

These adjustments can mean anything it needs to mean for you.

For me, an ergonomic chair would be my first adjustment. Because with no back support, I only sit for minutes; If un-comfortability is your hindrance, think about the adjustments you need to make to boost your concentration and writing productivity.

SLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPPPP.

Sleep is crucial to performance and productivity. And that goes for writers too. Pulling all-nighters once and a while may not impact your productivity massively. But keeping up a poor sleep schedule will. Sleep affects how much work you get done and how much energy and focus you apply to your stories.

Sometimes your idea tank is not empty, you just need some sleep.

Sleep is so important to any sort of productivity because rest boosts and resets all the good things in your body allowing you to wake up rejuvenated and ready to go.

If you already don’t have a proper sleeping routine or schedule and are backed up on sleep, fix that ASAP. Because a little bit more rest pays off.

Intaking insane amounts of media is another thing that can definitely tank your writing productivity, by hijacking your creativity. Too much media leaves little room to create and keep original ideas flowing.

Let your brain breathe, and relax a little on the media.

I believe that authenticity is one of the main things that makes a writer great. It’s a writer’s fresh perspective, personal messages, and creative skill with words that make them a great writer: makes them stand out. So honing in on what makes your writing yours is important. Because authenticity and originality are priceless.

Now, I’m not trying to tell you what to watch or when to watch whatever you watch. But it is crucial to give your brain space to create and develop authenticity without the constant influence of TV shows, movies, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and sometimes even music. While these mediums can bring inspiration. Too much can kill your originality.

Trying other activities during your downtime is a great way to pick up a new skill, let your brain breathe, and get familiar with your creative instincts.

Sometimes the culprit blocking your writing productivity is your own writing. Like writing too much or too little.

If you write too much it becomes an overload. You risk over-stretching your creativity, focus, and energy. Breaks in between writing books or writing sessions help you to rejuvenate and recover. Kind of like sleep. This could be months, weeks, or hours away from writing. The point is, don’t write too much, and remember to take breaks in between your stories and during writing sessions.

But the idea is the opposite when it comes to writing too little. With writing too much, do less. With writing too little, do more.

Without writing discipline and writing stamina, writers can fall out of practice and get rusty. Or never reach their true writing potential.

Writing too little doesn’t give creativity a chance to develop. So keeping up a good writing schedule, like writing every day or on a consistent basis is what your writing productivity may need.

I mean the basis of writing productivity is writing. So don’t forget the writing part.

Okay-so writing productivity is essential, and many things can keep you behind. Tackling the things that hold your productivity back is a good way to start.

Writing this list I think I could work on all 5 things. And sleep is the one I’ll start with because a little more sleep makes the biggest difference for me.