On Planning

This post isn’t particularly poetic or profound. But that is also the message. A lot of writing comes down to planning. You have to create a container that you can fill with inspired work, but the work itself is gradual and methodical. Successful writers plan.

 When I was a young assistant professor I sat down with Don Worster, the most senior and most accomplished member of the department, one of the most prominent environmental historians in the nation. Don routinely produced lengthy well-regarded books, such as his biography of John Muir. Curious about his process, I asked him a question I’ve asked many accomplished historians: How do you do it?

Unlike many writers, Don didn’t write during the school year. “I’m busy teaching,” he said. But when the summer came, he wrote seven days a week. “I like doing this,” he said. “I don’t take breaks.” And, most notably, he pre-planned the entire summer, including what he would write every day. More impressively, he stuck to his plan; if the calendar said he would spend two days on a topic, he would, and at the end of two days he would move on to the next topic, without fail. He was so prepared that he would even have all the books he would need checked out from the library before the summer began. As a result, Don accomplished a tremendous amount and never turned in a book late.

 I certainly never was as punctilious as Don. But I adapted his system in a way that worked for me. Before every summer or long writing period, I draw myself an oversized calendar (store-bought ones are never big enough) and I make each square big enough to fit two small Post-it notes; one for the morning and one for the afternoon. I like Post-its because you can move them around; I have never been able to predict my writing as well as Worster. Then I will spend at least several days planning. I will develop a detailed outline if I haven’t already and then assign each topic a certain amount of time, writing it on Post-it notes.

 Your plan can change; mine always does. But having a plan keeps me on target, gets me to buckle down, and keeps me from wasting time, knowing I only have a limited amount of time for each topic. If you do not have a plan, you will never reach a deadline, and that just is not an option if you are an untenured academic.

Another thing that I always do is to keep track of my word count in every writing session using Google Calendar. I use the Word Count feature of Microsoft Word to measure the word count at the beginning and the end of each writing session, then I do the math, figure out how many words I wrote, and what my hourly rate of progress was. Since how much I write is partly a function of how focused I am, a low number is a warning and an indication that I need to make a change—shut off the internet, shut the door, get some blood pumping through my brain—something. Conversely, a high number gives me a sense of accomplishment, and a dopamine hit that encourages me the next time I sit down to write.

I also find that I write approximately four times faster the month before a deadline than a year before a deadline, or worse, when there is no deadline. So now I either submit a manuscript to a press and get it into the pipeline to create those deadlines, or I try to trick myself by having a friend hold me accountable to whatever deadline I choose.

Some people say that they must stare at a screen all day to write one page. Or to write no pages. Please don’t be some people. If you are not being productive, do something to fix it. Take a step back. Breath. Go for a run or get some aerobic exercise.

 You may find a totally different system that works for you. But I think there are three important takeaways. One is to have conversations with writers you respect, people who are prolific and successful, and ask them about their process. Writing is not magic, it is a craft, and those who do it well always have tricks of the trade that they are usually more than happy to share. The second is to bring planning into the process. Set expectations for yourself, and map a large writing project into your life, whether you have a big block of time or whether you need to fit it into a tighter window. Make time for your writing and plan it in advance, even if you know that your plan will change. And lastly, keep track of your progress as you go.

This form of accounting might feel like bean-counting, not the wild bursts of passionate production that we might associate with creativity. But every successful writer approaches the craft with care and plans their projects and their time. Find a method that works for you, and happy writing!