Chain Chain Chain
I’ve been a slacker with writing lately. First, the novel group went on hiatus, which removed my constant impending deadline. Then, I was looking for a new job, which sucked up oodles of time. Then, I was moving for the new job and doing all the work that goes along with a move. Then… I was distracted – I was in a new place, meeting new people, lots of stuff to do.
A couple of days ago, I read this article from Lifehacker. It talks about some advice the author got from Jerry Seinfeld on how to be productive. The advice is very simple:
Step 1: Get a big calendar.
Step 2: Draw an X on each day you write. (After a few days, you’ll have a chain of Xes)
Step 3: Don’t break the chain.
Starting today, I’m going to work on a chain. Today’s Accountability Tuesday, so that’s fitting. Also, today I’m going to a Write Brain thingie with Deb and Jenny, so that’s fitting, too. It’s a good way to get started, and then all I have to think about is getting an X each day. Easy. Right?
just do it Tuesday Posts of Accountability word count writing process
jenny maloney View All →
Jenny writes dark fiction that her mother hates. Her stories and essays have appeared in Across the Margin, Pantheon, Shimmer, Black Denim Lit, Skive, and others. When she’s not writing her own stuff, she’s reading mysteries for Criminal Element. When she’s not writing fiction or reviews, she’s writing/directing/performing/designing plays at Springs Ensemble Theatre.
Other Worlds, and This 
I like that. I'll do this too.
I do that in my day planner thing, but it's not as obvious as on a real, honest-to-gosh wall calendar.
That's a great way to keep up the productivity. I think I'll use it to get a sense of accomplishment. It's easy to forget the chain thing: that lots of little bites have a big result.
Glad to hear you're writing again 🙂 Miss reading your stories.
I love this!