Getting that last 500 words

Some days, getting that last 500 words can feel like an impossible slog, and it’s just so darned tempting to give up and try again tomorrow. Except those 500 words will still be there, waiting to be written – along with all the other words you planned to write that day. If you’re having one of those days, here are 5 quick and dirty writing productivity hacks to get those last 500 words.

Writing Productivity Hack 1: The Cherry Technique

You know the Pomodoro technique? Well, this hack is like that, but with a smaller breed of tomato. 

The Pomodoro technique gets you to set a timer for 25 minutes, work solidly for that time, then take a five minute break and start again. Which is a great method when you’re full of energy and excited to write. But not so good when it’s 9 p.m. and you just want to get those last 500 words and fall into bed. 

At that kind of time, the most I can manage is a ten, maybe fifteen minute sprint. Somedays, I can only do five. And you know what? That’s okay.

Because I know that if I put my head down and just write, without worrying too much about the words (because this is a first draft, and I can fix anything in edits) I can write at least 100, maybe 200 words in five minutes. 

Each five minute stretch gets me closer to my goal, and as I glimpse the end I start writing faster. Half an hour more of five minute sprints, punctuated by a five minute break between each one, and I’ll be done.  

That sounds a lot more manageable – and productive – to me. 

Writing Productivity Hack 2: The Sensory Deprivation Tank

This hack is basically a dramatic way of saying switch off your phone. 

More than that, leave your phone, your tablet, your kids and husband in the other room, and pretend they don’t exist for an hour. Turn off the TV, the music, the podcasts. Take off your bra if it’s uncomfortable and distracting (full disclosure, I do this one a lot…). Use an app to block internet access on your laptop, or at least close down all the windows except the document you’re writing in. In fact, consider writing this last stretch in longhand, so you can’t be tempted. 

In summary, for this writing productivity hack to work, you need to remove everything that could distract you from your writing. Then sit down, and write. Or not. Basically, it’s up to you. But I find that, when there’s absolutely nothing else to do, writing tends to happen by default. (And I’ll write damn quick if it means I can get my phone back at the end. The bra is staying off, though.)

Writing Productivity Hack 3: The Location Switch

My brother swears by this productivity hack. While he’s been working from home in lockdown, every time he starts a new task, he moves to a different seat in the house. (As a consequence, his boss thinks his house is enormous, when actually he just has a lot of chairs.) 

Pre-lockdown, I used to do something similar. Whenever I had to concentrate and get a certain, self-contained task done – like writing a blog post, or a proposal – I’d head to my local coffee shop and set up camp there until it was done. (If it was really important/urgent, I’d make sure to pick the coffee shop with no wifi and no phone signal, too.) 

But this technique can work even within your own home. Switch from your desk to the armchair; from the dining table to your bed. (Your new location might not be the best for your posture, or for full time work, but for 500 words it’ll be fine.)

With this hack, you’re giving your brain the cue that this is something new now. You’re not just slogging through the same thing you’ve been working on for hours. You’re starting fresh, with all the energy and enthusiasm that new beginnings bring. 

So switch your location and get writing. 

Writing Productivity Hack 4: The Mini Break

For all this is an article on writing productivity hacks, there’s one thing you MUST remember: if the words just aren’t there, it’s okay to take a break. Trying to force the writing when your brain is just done is only going to be counter productive. But remember: this is a break. It’s not being done for the day. 

The best way to enforce this is to set a timer – for fifteen minutes, half an hour, even a whole hour. Whatever you need to refresh yourself. 

Also, plan how you’re going to spend this time. Scrolling through your instagram feed isn’t going to refresh you. In fact, getting away from screens altogether is probably best. 

Start with some simple stretches, to work out the kinks. Take a walk, if you need to blow away the cobwebs from writing all day. Read a book for inspiration. Have a conversation with your loved ones (remember them? The real people who don’t live inside a book?). 

Just take a break – a real one. 

And then get back to work and watch those last 500 words flow. 

Writing Productivity Hack 5: The Brain Dump

For me, this hack is the last resort. For you, it might be your standard first draft technique. As with all things writing and productivity, YMMV, and that’s okay. 

But if, like me, you write your first drafts in full sentences, with complete punctuation and dialogue, this might be the time to loosen up a little. Switch off the ‘polished first draft’ side of your brain, and try brain dump, or a dirty first draft instead. 

Basically, all you need to get down on paper is what happens next. Absolutely throw in some killer lines of dialogue as they come to you, or a note about something you want to include later. This is not a first draft, exactly, it’s notes to yourself, ready for tomorrow. 

Go as far ahead in the story as you can to hit your word count, or to the end of the scenes you planned to write today. Don’t worry that it doesn’t make sense to anyone who isn’t you – you are the only person who is ever going to read it. 

What you’re doing here is accepting that you can’t write these scenes perfectly tonight, but you’re doing what you can – and setting yourself up for success tomorrow. 

When you next sit down at your desk, the first thing you’ll do is go back over this brain dump and make it into complete prose. You’ve already done the thinking work, now you’re just fixing it up. (And if you’ve had better ideas overnight, you can incorporate them too.)

This writing productivity hack also has the advantage of getting you right back into the story when you start work again, so you’ll be ready to slay your word count goal tomorrow!

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