Do you ever have trouble fitting daily writing into your life? Try a writing contract. I wrote mine, below, in response to Aimee Bender’s article, “Why the Best Way to Get Creative Is to Make Some Rules” (O Magazine, July 2012). It has helped me to write daily with few exceptions. I always aim for 30 minutes. Sometimes I can only do 15 or 20, but the key is that I do it because I don’t want to break the contract I made with myself and my friend.
Feel free to adapt this document to your own purposes.
WRITING CONTRACT
I, ______________, hereby commit to write creatively for THIRTY (30) MINUTES per day, beginning Monday, 7/16/12. I commit to this contract through 10/31/12, a period of three (3) months. If, at the end of the three months, I have kept my commitment, I will receive a bonus of my choosing.
During those 30 minutes per day, I may work on any project of my choosing, in any genre. I may work on outlines, synopses, revisions, sketches on paper, or even daydreaming that furthers a project.
I may NOT, during those 30 minutes, work on the tasks related to writing that are not actually writing (such as submissions, organizing computer folders, re-reading, updating website, etc.).
I may have one (1) day off per week.
I may complete my 30 minutes at any time of day.
I pledge, after completing the day’s work, to send an email to ______________ saying “done.”
______________ pledges, after receiving the daily email, to respond with “OK” (or any sound, nonsense word, or cheerleading he prefers that day).
If I agree to this contract, I will initial next to my name below.
______________: Date:
______________: Date:
Concept based on Aimee Bender’s article, “Why the Best Way to Get Creative Is to Make Some Rules,” O Magazine, July 2012