What do you do if you're struggling to define your writing process?

Once you have a general goal, as in, "I want to write a short story" or "I want to write something a publisher will buy", you have a general direction. That direction will determine HOW you need to write. But to rev up your engines, take some time to read similar books, as a professional. What do you like/dislike about how they structured their work? What could be improved? What can you use in your own work as far as style or structuring? Remember this massively important truth: There's NO great writing, only great re-writing. Go for it with your first draft, then buy a packet of red pens and do the real work. (Literary Agent behind +1800 deals worldwide, author of 31 books with trad. publishers)

Imagine your audience. Who is your readership? What do you want them to do differently or take away from your writing? What is the passion you are drawing upon for inspiration (helps to have that when "writer's block hits, as motivation)?

My writings always have my experience, my honesty, and my learnings in it. So, I try not to define my writing process because if I do so, then it will not fall under any specific process. So, I call my writing pieces- observations, short stories, anecdotes as honest expressions of my life and emotions.

Here's my advice: first take time to take care of yourself, the more that you can nurture yourself, the easier it will be to write. Don't expect your creative energy to be limitless, just as children do eventually get tired, so too does your creative genius, who some connect to our inner child. Writing, no matter the purpose--technical, creative, academic, involves creativity of some kind. If you want to identify the best constraints for discovering your personal writing process, practice with different environments--try early morning, late at night, try working out and then writing, try listening to your favorite music and then writing, try writing while listening to your favorite music, try writing in public places or around friends.

If you're struggling to define your writing process, start by experimenting with different approaches to see what works best for you. Explore techniques such as outlining, free writing, or mind mapping to organize your thoughts and ideas. Set aside dedicated time for writing and create a conducive environment that fosters creativity and focus. Reflect on past writing experiences to identify patterns or methods that have been successful for you. Additionally, seek inspiration from other writers and resources to learn new strategies and refine your process over time. By staying open-minded and adaptable, you can develop a personalized writing process that aligns with your strengths and preferences.

My favorite writing tools include setting up a Google Drive for your writing project; using a tool called Scrivener, and ensuring that you have a notebook with you dedicated to your writing project. You can also send yourself voice notes via Voxer or WhatsApp, which can be helpful as you think of new ideas.

Establishing a regular writing routine can help you stay disciplined and focused. Set aside dedicated time each day or week for writing and stick to it. Consistency is key to developing a productive writing habit.

A consistent routine is imperative for any writing project. Of course, life does happen, and that's why you need to incorporate buffer time. If you need to write 30,000 words in 4 months, that's 1,875 words per week, or about 268 words per day. Perhaps you can commit to three writing sessions a week, or you'd rather write about 300 words per day. Use logic and tangible deadlines in order to come up with your word count and be realistic about what you're able to accomplish on a daily or weekly basis.

Routine sounds boring, and it can be, but it’s the best way to build discipline into the writing process. Setting aside a particular time each day for writing can help get the juices flowing and can help get something on paper (can be revised later).

We gather a relatively new tool called “ChatGPT,” essentially AI writing with our own thoughts based upon our programming process. Well worth learning, it has expanded our Social media Platform immensely on our John M Papp Drone Images LLC pages. Try it out, and come back here and let us know how it works for your project. JP

Write your thoughts down. Share your thoughts. See what happens. See what souls you connect with as a direct result of your words and ideas. I can guarantee you that you will touch at least one person with the words you choose to write on the page.

There's that 100% tendency that when you always do something you get to align and understand what you really enjoy. Writing often can expose you to really know and understand what writing process works best for you, also understand that it also depends on the kind of writing you want to go into, it will shape your writing processes by constant practice.

Don't hesitate to seek support and feedback from trusted friends, peers, or mentors. Sharing your work with others can provide valuable insights and perspectives to help you refine your writing process.

Starting up, this was one of the steps I took and still today. Seek feedback! Remember though you writing because you are passionate about a particular topic or issue, you are not writing for you but your audience. Feedback matters a lot. It helps you know what you are doing wrong and helps you meet your audiences needs. Now you’d have some really negative comments from some but be patient, pick and work on what needs to be worked on.

Think about times when you've been successful in your writing endeavors. Consider what strategies, habits, or routines worked well for you in those instances. Reflecting on past experiences can provide valuable insights into your preferred writing process.

Writing should not be considered a chore... It should be a process to define your intention, your stories and your thoughts into words. If you are struggling to write...just remember why you started in the first place... Think of the time you enjoyed writing. Take a break if it's too much but come back and write ??????

Assess your writing process, before you define! Categorize as per content, genre, target audience, choice of words, presentation style, etc.!

Don't expect improving your writing process to be a one-and-done proposition. Think like a scientist studying the best way for you to produce deathless prose. Try things that work for others. Come up with other things on your own. Keep the stuff that works. Ditch the stuff that doesn't. I've been writing for publication for over 50 years, and I'm still trying to improve my process. That's what professionals do.

Ignore your writing process. Sure, what you always do works; but sometimes "breaking the wheel" works just as well. Originally a sci-fi writer I like things to be difficult. Imaginative, conceptually weird. Start writing with the first word that you think of after reading this. My first word was "What". Six weeks later I had written a romance novel (romance, me, no way) and it sold well. Just choose a word and keep writing, you may surprise yourself. I did.

If you're struggling to define your writing process, start by experimenting with different approaches such as outlining, free-writing, or using prompts to kickstart your creativity. Reflect on what aspects of each method work best for you and adapt them into a personalized process. Don't be afraid to mix and match techniques until you find what feels most comfortable and effective for your style and goals. Additionally, seek inspiration from other writers, attend workshops or writing groups, and don't forget to allow yourself the flexibility to evolve and refine your process over time.

If you are getting stuck another way to access your writing experience is to rewrite your previous write-ups and see how you can improve it. Would you add or delete certain points? Basically, how would you make it readable and improve the quality of your content.