Productivity is key for any writer looking to stay on track and complete their writing project on time. These authors share five tips to help you become a more productive writer:

1. Jump-start the process instead of staring at a blank screen or page.


“Like stretching before exercise, I start my writing day with a heavy edit and rewrite of my previous day’s work. That seamlessly catapults me into today’s writing.” – Jerry Jenkins

See all of Jerry Jenkins’ tips here.

2. Write First, Proofread Later

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So many writers are obsessed with their writing that they keep on proofreading every sentence and paragraph they write – and the worst thing about that is that their work still end up having errors even after that.



Aside several great writers advising that the best thing to do for your articles is to write it and proofread it with a fresh perspective the next day, I have also discovered that writing my articles without trying to proofread it makes me more productive.



Your articles will never be perfect so there is no point in obsessing over that. Whenever you write, you will experience a free flow of ideas influencing your writing and making it of a high quality, during this free flow it is important not to edit any sentence you write in order to ensure the free flow continues. Once you’ve finished your writing, you can easily go over the article again to edit it to have a better taste.” – Bamidele Onibalusi 

See all of Bamidele Onibalusi’s tips here.

3. Reward yourself


“If you manage to show up every day or fulfill your quota, then by all means, give yourself a pat on the back. Whether it’s a trip to the masseuse or a book you’ve been dying to read, reward your own positive behavior with special treats that keep you motivated week after week.” – Melissa Donovan
See all of Melissa Donovan’s tips here.

4. Become accountable


“This blog has kept me accountable since I started writing it in Dec 2008. Every year, I have posted my goals and what I’ve achieved. I also post my annual income reports on the anniversary of leaving my job, plus I share what I learn along the way, so you know I am working my butt off!

So you guys are partially my accountability. But I also have several accountability partners.



These are people who I skype or meet with every month and we hold each other accountable for our progress. We go through the list of what we said we would do that month, and we kick each others’ butts if we haven’t done it. 



One of these is also a thriller writer, so our goals are thriller specific and related to income from fiction. Another is more like a creative mentor, and she asks me questions that relate more to staying true to my Muse.


Then I have an accountability partner who has a completely separate kind of business, and we challenge each other on content like the podcast and blog, as well as overall financial goals. We even have a competition now, where the loser has to pay for a spa day – now that’s motivating!


I also have a coach who I have calls with several times a year, when I want to take things to another level.” – Joanna Penn 

See all of Joanna Penn’s tips here.

5. Break up the day into chunks.


“I try to block out my time and schedule 1-2 hours dedicated to each project, and not do work for anything else during that time,” says Denver freelancer Nicole Relyea. “I use a whiteboard that has sections for each day of the week,” says Portland freelancer Jennifer Willis. “I map out my daily activities for the week, and try to stick to it.” – Michelle V. Rafter

See all of Michelle V. Rafter’s tips here.