Although we talk about writing as a single monolithic activity, it actually involves three distinct roles or hats: the project manager, the writer, and the editor. Every piece of writing is a project. As project manager, you create a plan for the writer … who also happens to be you. When you’ve completed your draft, you hand it to the editor. Yes, that’s you, too. No wonder you’re tired.
Your Writer wants to generate, explore, and experiment. Your Editor wants to analyse, refine, and perfect. When both try to work at the same time, you end up stuck: you’re pulled in two directions at once, unable to make progress because the Editor insists nothing is good enough. The Writer gets fed up and investigates what’s in the fridge. Without a plan, you have no idea what you’re supposed to be doing, anyway.
Here are the three roles:
The Project Manager 👷🏽
- Oversees the whole writing project.
- Creates specifications and plans, including understanding house style, word limits, etc.
- Manages timeline and resources.
- Makes strategic decisions.
- Monitors progress.
- Adjusts scope when necessary.
The Writer 🧑🏼🎨
- Generates ideas.
- Explores and experiments.
- Drafts and creates content.
- Follows the scope the Project Manager created.
- The Writer is creative but within constraints set by the Project Manager.
The Editor 👩🏻💻
- Works with what the Writer created.
- Ensures work meets the specification provided by the Project Manager.
- Reviews and restructures.
- Polishes and improves.
- Checks quality and consistency.
These roles are sequential rather than simultaneous. One of the biggest barriers to writing productivity is trying to plan, write, and edit all at the same time. Your brain shuts down and finds something easier to do instead. It’s important to recognise these different roles and move between them intentionally.
For some of us, it helps to keep the roles completely separate. This might involve scheduling them on different days or using dedicated locations. For example, you might spend an hour at home on Monday morning making a plan for your writing. Then the actual writing happens on Tuesday in the library. Finally, you edit in the office on Friday afternoon when everyone else has buggered off for the weekend. Or maybe you do everything in the same place and use a selection of hats. Either way, a writing fortress can help.
I can’t pretend it’s easy. As soon as you start writing, your editor will shriek in your ear: “What a sloppy sentence! You’re a disgrace.” You need to find some way of ignoring that voice or distracting the editor. Chocolate biscuits are very effective. But if you can ignore the sniping for a few hours each week, you’ll make progress. And progress is wonderfully motivating.
Next time you squeeze out a paragraph, don’t let your editor see it until you’ve squeezed out a few more.
PS - If you want an actual writer’s hat, you can buy them on Etsy. Searching for headgear online is an excellent work-displacement activity.