How to Write 5 Pages a Day

I’m looking ahead at my stack of papers needing revision: 47,000 words that attempt to weave two story arcs together. To put that off for just a little while longer, here are five thoughts on how to write five pages a day for thirty days. If you have an idea, please share in the comments.

Make it Enjoyable

My desk was not neat. Various notebooks, Stephen King’s On Writing, and my share of mementos hogged most of the surfaces. There was room enough to write and no more. To make the writing enjoyable, I often lit a savory candle (Golden Cypress and Suede) and chose a seltzer (coconut). Sometimes I wrote in silence; only the gliding of the pen was heard. I found that listening to genre-relevant music helped. There’s a solid Writing Playlist on Spotify I returned to.

Start

On March 2nd, I sat at my analog creative desk to write five pages a day for thirty days — a stretch that, thanks to a few skipped days along the way, ended up spilling into April. Reading through the first four chapters that I had written last year in the spring, I organized a list of characters. I drew a piece of college-ruled paper from my large stash, retrieved a Pilot G2 from the reserve, and wrote this sentence: Howard, Mira, and Benji huddled around the end table in Castien’s study. It’s not wonderful, but it’s a first draft. We’ve got four characters mentioned in a single line, which is far too many. You’ll know the names by chapter five. Still, it feels like too much. 

The point is that I started. I could have procrastinated like I’m doing now, yet I began. There’s truth to the adage that “beginning is the hardest part.” Even if the first few lines of your story are garbage, it means you started. Let the momentum carry you.

Go Easy on Yourself

Stay committed but recognize that life happens. Life doesn’t care about your writing goals. I tacked on a few days into April because I had other activities: dates, wargames, a weekend with the parents. Feelings of guilt arose when I didn’t write. I had to remind myself that missing a day didn’t mean failure. Nothing is wrong with a rescheduled writing appointment.

Make the Time

Where possible, dedicate time to write. I kept track of when I wrote to identify patterns and give myself a record. On the 17th, I wrote two and a half pages between 11:10 am and noon, and I restarted at 6 pm to finish my five pages. I wasn’t pushing everything aside to write. I still had to teach, cook, and have social time. Most often, I wrote around 9 am. However, I also wrote at 10:30 pm and even 11:30 pm on April 5th. I didn’t mind skipping a day, but I felt it necessary not to skip any more.

Track Characters

Maps, whiteboard, notes. I used all manner of tools to manage the status of my characters. I pantsed the story, which means I didn’t outline. A list of who was where is vital. Having Howard randomly show up in Firden when he was on Ledger’s Reach in the last chapter didn’t make sense (especially since they’re nearly 1,000 miles apart). Tracking prevented many conflicts.

I hope even one of these helps someone. Writing five pages a day is the start of something. I read somewhere that any story kept in your head dies with you. They deserve to be told, so get started.