Vent: My half-finished novel sat untouched for almost a year.

I finally got past the block by setting a tiny goal of just 200 words a day, no matter what. After three weeks, I'm 4,000 words further in and the story is moving again. What's a small daily goal that's worked for you to push through a big project stall?

3 comments

3 Comments

matthewdavis1mo ago

Set a timer for 25 minutes and just stay in the chair until it goes off, even if you're just staring at the document. The act of showing up is most of the battle. I also found that writing the next tiny, obvious scene, even if it's just two characters talking about the weather, builds momentum better than trying to tackle a big plot point.

derek781mo ago

That's a great point about just staying in the chair, it really does build the habit. I'd just add that for me, the 25-minute timer method @matthewdavis mentioned can backfire if I'm truly stuck. Sitting there stressing for the full time makes me dread the next session. My small win is opening the file and adding one single sentence. Most days, that one sentence turns into a few paragraphs because just getting started was the real hurdle. The tiny 200-word goal is perfect because it feels too small to fail.

grayperez1mo ago

Yeah the timer thing can feel like detention sometimes. Opening the file is the real hack.