Self-Discipline Necessary for Writing

[Octagon]

From what I read, I think that, to be a successful writer, you first have to have self-discipline, because it enables you to persevere through any challenge in writing, and also because it enables you to finish a work.

But this is what I'm severely lacking. Therefore I ask you: What are the methods through which you've developed self-discipline, if you didn't have it in the past.

[pelwrath]

Octogan,
I have this to the max. I rush, get that idea on the paper so I can move on to the next. Now, couple that with a noticeable lack of the rules of English. I’ve slowed down some in the past several years. I started using Read Along in WORD 365, Grammarly, and Hemingway. They all help but if I forget one of them, well read the comments for the Technical score in any contest here about my submission.
What helped me:
*A 1st draft will always be crap, don’t try and make it a masterpiece.
*Never be afraid to write what you want, don’t write what you think others will like.
*Ask for help-kudos you did that here.
*Practice with shorter stories. The 100 word or 200 word are excellent ways to build/improve your foundation.
*My first book had 10 revisions before I self-published it. Don’t fear making changes.
*Write the story, the rules will come.
*Let me know when you post something so I can look at it.

[RAVENEYE]

Excellent question. 

Distractions are a big hindrance for me during my writing time. Practices that have helped me focus:

0. Stretch, something to get the blood flowing to the brain.
1. Earbuds in ears with a background noise playing. Soft drones are best b/c they block out distracting sounds, and the sameness eliminates mental distractions.
2. Turn off the internet. Get your internet fix over and done with first thing, time yourself to 30 minutes or an hour or whatever. Then turn access to internet off on your writing device. Internet is not an option until writing time is over.
3. Read something similar to what you're writing. A good time is just before bed. This is necessary fuel for the brain. Writers need an armament of words and inspiration.
4. B.I.C. = Butt in Chair. During the entire allotted writing time. Sit there, hands on keyboard, and write whatever the hell comes to mind. It will probably be crap, and that's okay. Eventually, the creative gears will start flowing, and that's when the magic happens. When it doesn't happen by itself, you gotta chase it with a club. (That's paraphrasing Hemingway)

Other tips:
* If you have trouble finishing a story, make sure you have some idea what the ending is going to be. Do NOT write that ending first. The ending is your driving force to finish.
* If you have ADHD, take your meds.
* Are you an outliner or a pantser? If you're trying to write a story without any planning whatsoever, try outlining. If you're outlining every story, you could be murdering your passion for it. Try writing with less prep work.
* If you're going for perfect, fear of imperfection could be blocking the flow or the passion. No story is perfect. Just write it. Revisions are a writers best friend.
* Brains work really well (so say some studies) if you work for 52 minutes, then take a 17 minute break, then work for another 52 minutes. Try setting a timer to see what rhythm works for you.
* Find a way to hold yourself accountable. Give yourself a deadline, and tell somebody else what it is. Set yourself a daily quota. "I write 200 words before I leave this computer."
* Reward yourself with something special when (and only when) you complete a story. If chocolate is your thing, for example, you only get to indulge in chocolate when the story is complete. (first draft) (you get to repeat the prize when you've revised a second draft)

In other words, there are countless ways to train your brain, body, and focus to get the job done. Often though, it's a matter of #4 up there. Writing is hard. Anybody who says otherwise isn't doing it long enough to realize that. And with all the distractions we have in our faces every day, we're fighting uphill battles. Do whatever you must to protect that writing time. 

[ScintillaMyntan]

I'm still working on it myself. The two ways I'm trying to improve self-discipline:

• Developing the habit of writing. A lot of the things you do feel natural to you simply because they're habits, and concentrating on writing can be hard if you're not used to it. So I'm just trying to gradually build up writing as a habit. When I was hardly writing at all, I considered just thinking about my story while taking a walk to be writing. Now I'm trying to increase the amount I write little by little.

• Learning to write despite self-criticism and fears. I'm trying to do this in my life more broadly: learn to keep doing what I'm doing when unhappy thoughts arise.

[Octagon]

I guess I should do the same, seeing nowadays I can barely read or write over several minutes, although I did spend a little time reading my Bible these past couple days.