We get by with a little help from our friends.
Author friends, how do you hold yourselves accountable for your writing? Do you set SMART goals for yourselves? Track your weekly word count? Calendar your writing sessions? Treat yourselves when you hit certain milestones?
Do you ever feel like you need a little help?
Writing is, at its core, a solitary task, and it can get a little lonely. And because, for the most part, we writers are only accountable for ourselves, it can be easy to shove it aside in favor of less difficult, less solitary, and more pressing activities.
But what if we weren’t just accountable to ourselves? What if we had someone else (or several other people) not only cheering us on but actually counting on us to meet those deadlines and hit those milestones? If you’re anything like me, that outside accountability is a game changer.
So, what does it look like?
Accountability Buddies
In its most casual form, your accountability may come in the form of a friend who checks in with you on a regular basis or a fellow author you have standing writing dates with. While you’re still the only one relying on you to turn out pages, this camaraderie — not to mention the simple knowledge that someone is going to ask about your progress every week — may help you stay inspired to keep your writing at the top of your priority list.
Critique Partners and Writing Groups
If you want to up the accountability ante, put yourself in a position where you’ll not only have to talk about your work, but you’ll have to share it, too. If you like to work one-on-one, find a critique partner you can swap drafts with. By setting due dates for each set of pages, you’ll both find you become more apt to make progress. And trading feedback will help you solve story problems, unlock your writer’s blocks, and find inspiration to keep writing.
If you prefer a more social setting, you might try a writing group. Though your turn to submit pages and receive feedback won’t come around as often, you’ll get the benefit of reading, critiquing, and discussing a wide range of work from which to draw inspiration.
Writing Coaches
Want to raise the stakes even more? Consider hiring a writing coach to keep you accountable while helping you hone your skills. The financial aspect of this relationship adds another layer of incentive to buckle down — after all, you want to be sure you get the maximum value out of your investment! And the right coach can help you gain the inspiration, skills, and confidence you need to be excited about your work. She’ll be fully tuned in to your project, keeping you on track, providing clear and actionable feedback, and celebrating your achievements right alongside you. (And, as a time-saving bonus, you won’t have to read and critique anyone else’s work, so you’ll be able to focus all your energy on your own!) Check out my recent blog post to learn the ins and outs of working with a writing coach.
Have you used any of these accountability strategies, either alone or in combination with others? How did they work for you? Share your experiences in the comments. And if you want to learn more about whether coaching might be the right choice for you, feel free to contact me! I’d love to learn about your work.