28 Apr 126. Write Your Book Faster with Writing Dates

Most shortcuts and hacks will fail you, but if you want to write more consistently and finish your book faster, there are proven strategies that can help.

Find out why writing dates can help you get into flow and make a huge difference in your progress, and learn how to set up your own.

You don’t have to embark on your writing journey alone.

Join Authors Ignited and take advantage of our version of writing dates with our weekly co-writing sessions.

Register by May 6, 2023 to participate in our one-day Virtual Writing Retreat on May 7th and commit a full day to your book with my support.

In addition to-co-writing with me and a community of encouraging writers, you’ll get:

• Immediate access to our video library
• A proven framework to write your transformative nonfiction book
• Access to our private group where you can ask questions and share wins
• Regular coaching calls with me for support, answers, and feedback

For more writing tips and inspiration, follow me on Instagram @candiceldavis.

Mentioned in This Episode

Authors Ignited – Group coaching and support to write a transformative book faster and with more ease

Jump-Start: A free guide to help you jump-start your nonfiction book.

Complete Author Coaching (1:1 Coaching)

Episode Transcript

Hey there, and welcome to Nothing but the Words. I’m Your Book Coach, Candice L Davis.

I hope your week and your writing are both going well.

At this point in my life and my writing career I have no patience for shortcuts, and I’m very suspicious of any kind of hacks.

I went through a phase in my life when I tried all kinds of productivity hacks.

For the most part, the science backed strategies worked and the so-called hacks, which might have worked for a short while, failed me over the long haul.

However, there’s one strategy I’ve used to write more and write more consistently that has served me well for over twenty years.

I’d say that’s proven, and yes, it’s also backed by science.

When I first started writing, I took writing classes and joined workshops and hired mentors.

All of those investments served me well.

I’m indebted to those brilliant people including Louella Nelson, Barbara DeMarco-Barrett, Mary Rakow, and Janet Fitch.

They gave me space to learn the mechanics and art of masterful writing and storytelling.

They provided me with feedback and critique so I could develop my strengths and shore up my weaknesses.

Side note: One of my mentors suggested we ignore our weaknesses and focus on our strengths, but I just didn’t have that in me. Worked marvelously for her though.

So I was getting tons of valuable knowledge and real wisdom, doing lots of reading, and having great conversations about books and writing.

But when it came time to write, I was on my own.

Now, don’t get me wrong.

I love the solitary nature of writing.

And it wasn’t hard for me to develop a writing habit because I had the luxury of controlling my own time.

So I managed to keep writing.

When a friend invited me on a writing date, I didn’t get it.

“What’s the point?” I wondered. We’re sitting in a coffee shop and just writing. We could both be doing it at home.

After we talked a bit about our works in progress, we dove in.

And I was surprised to find that, at the end of our writing session, I’d actually been more productive than I usually was on my own.

I had more words on the page, yes, but it also felt easier.

I’d gotten into the flow faster and stayed there longer.

When I met the man who would become my husband and discovered he was also a writer, I started inviting him on writing dates.

When I moved to a new city, I found a woman who was hosting writing dates online.

In my group-coaching community, Authors Ignited, we have writing dates every week.

On our Zoom calls, I’m there to coach anyone who gets stuck and to help my clients talk through their ideas and make decisions.

There’s huge value in that.

However, there’s also huge value in just writing together.

This isn’t just my opinion.

A study by the Journal of Labor economics found that working in the presence of at least one other person improved performance by 16 to 32 percent.

Working in proximity with other people, without competing or collaborating, has proven to create the highest performance.

Whether the people who use them or not know it, this is why they often get more work done in a co-writing space.

It’s why you see co-writing groups popping up online.

You can absolutely get some of these same benefits from just going to work in a coffee shop.

When I feel tired or bored with my writing, I pack up and head to a coffee shop to write. It always shakes me up and gets me writing.

But an organized writing date has some advantages.

It’s regularly scheduled.

The environment is controlled.

A good coach or facilitator will make sure your session doesn’t devolve into chit-chat, which can be fun but not productive.

And you’re with people you can get to know so you can support each other.

If you’ve been struggling to write as consistently or as productively as you’d like, you can always partner with a friend to have regular writing dates on Zoom or in person.

Here’s how you can set it up.

Decide in advance what you want to write in the session.

Share your goals with each other.

Set a timer for your preferred writing time.

In a 90-minute session, I like to do 33 and 45 minutes. That allows me time for quick coaching in between if anyone needs it.

But if it’s just you and a friend writing together, a couple of 40-minute sessions works great, and you only need to break for a few minutes in between and if you both want.

Write until the timer goes off.

When you’re done, you can share your progress or even read a bit of your work.

This is first draft stuff, so you’re not looking for feedback so much as a chance to start exercising the muscles required to share your work with the world.

Keep your writing dates simple.

And if you want regular writing dates with a coach to support you and a community of authors who cheer each other on, we’d love to have you in my group-coaching community, Authors Ignited.

You can find more information at AuthorsIgnited.com.

And if you join by May 6th, you’ll be eligible to attend our bonus Virtual Writing Retreat on May 7th.

This is a full day of writing together. It’s a chance to make significant progress on your book and get some real momentum.

The retreat is a bonus for Authors Ignited members, so if you want that kind of focused time and support as you write, we’d love to have you join us.

Check it out at AuthorsIgnited.com.

That’s all for this week’s episode my friends. Thanks for listening to “Nothing but the Words.” I’m Your Book Coach, Candice L. Davis. And I’ll see you next time.

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