I have heard lots of descriptions over the years from writers and academics about how to write. What works? What doesn’t? What routine you should follow? And so on. This is often in response to a question from a colleague or student who is curious about the process or is looking for advice. The answers or accounts tend to be idiosyncratic: what works for one particular person and personality. My sense is writers have to figure it out for themselves, trying some different methods and having some flexibility since conditions can be variable.

If I were asked my tips for writing, I would offer these two pieces of advice:

1. Work ahead of deadlines. Some writers describe how deadlines inspire them to do great work at the last minute. They need to feel the pressure. I tend to have lots written way before the deadline. If I have a writing project to complete in a month, I will slowly work on it for weeks so that when that deadline is a week to a few days away, the draft is pretty complete. This takes some planning and finding time but my own experience is that it leads to better work. It is also related to #2…
2. Give yourself time to think as you write. This is another reason I find writing at or very near a deadline does not work as well for me; it limits the time I have to think about what I am writing. Writing is thinking so if I am doing this way ahead of a deadline, the wheels are turning. There is time to explore new paths, consider sources I did not consider before, revise my argument if needed, and revise. I need the time to mull over what I am writing and writing under pressure makes that harder, not easier.

As for other factors that writers often talk about – where do you write? what mood do you need to be in? do you set aside time and give yourself word counts? do you listen to music or need silence? – I find these less important than the two points above. With plenty of lead time and mental room to think, I can write.