Develop a Prewriting Routine and Make Your Writing Productivity Soar

Edie here. I'm over-the-moon excited to have one of my publishing heroes as one of our monthly contributors. I've known Larry Leech for longer than he or I wants to admit to and he's an absolute gold mine of publishing wisdom, encouragement and information. Please give him a warm TWC welcome!!!

By Larry Leech @LarryJLeechII

I love golf. I love playing while enjoying a few hours of fresh air. I love watching. The Golf Channel is on one of our TVs pretty much every minute of every waking moment in our house, even now while I write this blog. I love thinking about my stance, my takeaway, my downswing. You name it, a thought about any part of the golf swing or a golf course probably crosses my mind once or twice or a dozen times a day.

A few years ago while I watched the first round of the U.S. Open, a thought popped into my head. Scary, I know. I watched golfer after golfer that day go through a pre-shot routine. Stand behind ball and look where they want to hit it. Take a few practices swings. Stand over the ball. Maybe take a few more practices swing. Stand over the ball. Wiggled. Steady their feet. Look down the fairway or across the putting green. Boom. Then hit. 

Which got me thinking. Scary again, I know. How can their meticulous preparation help me with my writing? 

Their pre-shot routine helps with muscle memory and focus. Both things we need when we write.

I have found that a pre-writing routine has helped get me into the right frame of mind. Pre-pandemic my routine was pretty simple: setup my laptop in the same spot at my branch office, order the same drink every time, place my drink in the same location near my mouse, set my screen at the same angle, find a concert video on YouTube, and put in my ear buds. Each action helped the writing gears in my mind click into place. Muscle memory. 

Despite sitting in a sometimes insanely busy coffeeshop, I kept my attention on the task at hand. Focus. Another regular said to me one day, “I didn’t want to bother you yesterday when I was in. I could tell by the look on your face that you were focused.”

Did I need to go through all that to write? Maybe, maybe not. But it has worked for me.

The routine, obviously, has changed somewhat with many of the branch offices not open yet for indoor seating. But hopefully soon. I miss my old routine. 

And like routines vary from golfer to golfer, routines will vary from writer to writer. If you haven’t tried a pre-writing routine, give it a shot. You might discover that you are more productive with one. 

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Develop a Prewriting Routine and Make Your Writing Productivity Soar from @LarryJLeechII on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Editor-in-Chief at Bold Vision Books and writing coach of award-winning authors, Larry J. Leech II has spent more than forty years writing and editing. He started his career as a sportswriter in southwestern Pennsylvania where he covered prep, college, and pro sports, including the Pittsburgh Pirates and Steelers.

In 2004, after 2,300 published articles, Larry moved into the book publishing industry. Since that time, he has ghostwritten 30 books, edited more than 400 manuscripts, and coached hundreds of authors through the writing and publication process. You can find him online on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Featured Image: Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash