6 Tips to Transform from Master Procrastinator to Moderately Disciplined Writer

Butterfly emerging from chrysalis

NaNo Prep season has begun in earnest. We’ve asked some writers to share their best tips on how to write the first draft of a novel and have fun doing it. Today, writer Lisa Atenasio shares what she’s learned about her writing process… and how it might help you:

Good writers are sensitive people. Sensitive people are often easily derailed by what life throws at them.

Good writers are creative people. Creative people often rebel against structure and discipline.

Good writers are imaginative people. Imaginative people often come up with a million reasons why something is impossible.

So how on earth is a sensitive, creative, imaginative person supposed to be able to churn out an entire novel in a timely manner? With a lot of cajoling and trickery, I’ve found. Here are some of the tools I used to transform from Master Procrastinator to Moderately Disciplined Writer.

1. Allow your first draft to be terrible.