Tap into the power of small wins to write your manuscript

You’ve probably heard how important it is to break down a humongous task into parts to get the job done. You may have heard the question: How do you eat an elephant? Answer: One bite at a time.

Turns out that this can be an effective way to write a book.

The thought of all the time and pieces and parts and elements of writing craft that go into writing a book can be overwhelming. In fact, writing a book can seem so unattainable that some people give up before they even start. To combat these feelings, consider how you can break down your book project into small tasks to gain valuable momentum to write a complete manuscript.

Small tasks completed over time really do add up. For example, sometimes I go through a day and feel as though I didn’t accomplish much. But if we step back and look over a period of time, we can see those small tasks we completed on an ongoing basis add up to some pretty big accomplishments.

Here are some examples of how to aim for small writing wins:

Create several scenes. Don’t be concerned about timing or order in your story, just think about some events or action that should happen and write.

Sketch out characters. Creating your cast of characters will push your story forward as your characters begin to take action.

Write one chapter — It doesn’t even have to be chapter one. Just write any chapter.

Write every day, even if it’s just a page or even a few sentences — You’ll get a boost out of the knowledge that you have accomplished a piece of your project plan. And over time, small bits of copy add up to a book.

Track your small wins and celebrate them. This act of celebration generates momentum to propel you forward.

Photo used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 Photo credit: Muhammad Mahdi Karim