PRODUCTIVITY & ORGANIZATION

How to Stop Procrastinating (Without Spending 4.5 Hours To Do It)

/ Discipline & Motivation, PRODUCTIVITY & ORGANIZATION / 2 minutes of reading / Leave a Comment

Mark Manson recently released a 4.5-hour video on how to stop procrastinating—which sounds like a great way to procrastinate for 4.5 hours. At The Productive Indie Fiction Writer, we’ve tackled this beast from every angle. This post pulls together some greatest hits, a few uncomfortably true quotes, and a flexible mindset to help you find your way around the monster.

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Writing Hack: How One Author Wrote 25,000 Words on Her Phone—and Why You Might Want to Try It

/ PRODUCTIVITY & ORGANIZATION, Work Processes / 3 minutes of reading

We talk a lot around here about optimizing your writing life, especially when things aren’t ideal. Whether you’re juggling kids, caregiving, a full-time job, or just sheer burnout, sometimes the biggest enemy of progress is the myth that “real writing” only happens under perfect conditions.

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Why Do You Write?

/ Attitude, Discipline & Motivation, Inspiration / 4 minutes of reading

Ah yes, that question. “Why do you write?”

It’s one of those that gets asked a lot—especially in writing forums, interviews, and on the back covers of literary memoirs, usually printed in italics for some reason. It can feel a bit… woo-woo. As if the answer should be sacred and profound. (“Because the Muse demands it, obviously.”)

But the truth? Your “why” is probably a lot more practical, changeable, and occasionally downright grubby than the question makes it sound.

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Writing a Lot Isn’t Intimidating—It’s Just Math

/ Discipline & Motivation, INDIE PUBLISHING, Inspiration, Prolificacy / 3 minutes of reading

I’ve spent the last couple of posts being pretty firm about the importance of doing the work. In Hauling the Bricks and The Indie Author’s Scam Survival Guide, we talked about how there’s no magic shortcut—just putting in the effort, day after day, is what gets you there. But let’s take a moment to step

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The Tiny Time-Saving Trick That Adds Up to Hours of Extra Writing

/ Technology, Tools & AI, Work Processes / 5 minutes of reading

Ah, keyboard shortcuts—the secret sauce that transforms a writer’s workflow from a clunky tricycle ride into a sleek, high-speed chase. If you’re still dragging your mouse around like it’s 1995, it’s time for an upgrade. Embracing keyboard shortcuts isn’t just about shaving seconds off tasks; it’s about reclaiming your creative flow and keeping those brilliant ideas from evaporating while you hunt for the “Paste” option.

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The Joy of Writing Prolifically (No, It Won’t Make You Depressed)

/ Creativity, Discipline & Motivation, INDIE PUBLISHING, PRODUCTIVITY & ORGANIZATION, Prolificacy, Work Processes / 3 minutes of reading / 2 Comments

Recently, Anne R. Allen published a post titled “Can Marathon Writing Sessions Lead to Depression?,” citing studies that suggest long, intense writing sessions might mimic symptoms of depression. If you’re an indie author pushing for a prolific writing habit, this kind of claim can be alarming. I get it. No one wants to wake up

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Harnessing the 3 A.M. Dread to Supercharge Your Writing (and More)

/ Creativity, Getting Ideas, Notetaking / 4 minutes of reading / 2 Comments

Ah, the dreaded 3 a.m. wake-up. You know the drill. You’re drifting in and out of sleep, and suddenly, your brain decides now’s the perfect time to replay that awkward email you sent at work. Or it spins a delightful doomsday scenario about how your project will implode, your reputation will be ruined, and your

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