How I Wrote My Debut Novel: Part Four – Keeping a Simple Writing Record

To some this might be optional; however, when building a discipline or habit, some light record keeping can be motivational and offer a focal point for practice. I suggest keeping a simple, yet effective, record of your writing.

At the beginning of each week I grab a 3×5 index card and create a simple form on which to capture the writing and reading I’ll do the coming week.* Listing the date and day of the week, I create a line for each day. As the week progresses, each day I capture how long I wrote, which project I worked on, and what I read. This index card becomes a focal point of my practice, urging me along, giving me a place to document my effort. 

There are other bits of data I keep on this card. I reserve a couple lines on which to record a note or two regarding longer term plans for my work. Across the top I write the week’s dates (16-22 June 2024) and a couple of phrases which remind and motivate me (Deo volente, and coram Deo – which mean, “God willing” and “in the presence of God”).

So, your task is to create a way to keep record and document the day-in and day-out effort you’re putting into your writing practice.

*Writing and reading are inseparable. More on that in part six of this series.