OK, I admit that I’m a sucker for a great writing tip. I get a kick out of passing them on and seeing a writer’s eyes light up when they hear something that strikes a chord. What might be surprising is that there is one tip that stands out from the rest. What’s more it’s not a tip about writing characters or developing story structure etc. It’s a secret tip I picked up from a film producer about the business of writing. And yes, it’s about productivity. This is often where writers need the most help as we tend to focus on the project in front of us.

Stage 3: Have a project released and in the public domain.

This can be a published novel, art in a gallery or a screenplay doing the rounds. It’s a project that represents your finished product available in the market.

Stage 2: Have a project in development.

This can be a novel you’re drafting, a screenplay you’re writing etc. etc. It’s a project that will ultimately be released and progress to Stage 3.

Stage 1: Have a project forming in your mind.

This can be a collection of notes or a story outline. From a slush pile of potential ideas, this is the one that you have green lit and you are starting to collect your thoughts into what a finished article will look like.

Always make sure you have three projects on the go at one time.

The goal is to create a project pipeline to ensure that you are always moving forward. The rule of three is a really simple way to manage this. For example, you might have just released your finished book but you have neglected to develop a new project to Stage 2. This means your production line will slow down. It also means you will have nothing to show someone who asks ‘so what are you working on now’.

The idea is to be constantly moving projects onto the next stage. It’s also good to keep in mind a timescale for each project and set yourself a deadline.

Well, there it is. It’s pretty simple and obvious stuff but often the best tips do feel like you know them already.