Encouraging Progress via Responsibility
Accountability is a game-changer for writers looking to achieve results and spur growth. Sure, it might seem easier to just "wing it" and not worry about tracking your progress, but accountability has proven its worth on my writing journey, and I wanna share my experience with you. My hope is that this post will help you see the advantages of writing accountability and give you some ideas on how to be accountable for your own writing.
My favorite quote on accountability is, "When performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported, the rate of improvement accelerates" (Monson, 101). As I've delved deeper into improving my writing, I've found this quote to be spot on. For ages, I was just "doing my thing" without tracking my progress. I'd write most days, but I didn't pay much attention to how much or set specific goals for myself beyond "finishing a book."
My initial interactions with writing accountability came through participating in National Novel Writing Month, followed by some self-imposed experiments outside of that requiring me to track my progress. During these experiments and NaNoWriMo, I noticed a significant improvement in my abilities as a writer compared to the times when I was just chugging along without any form of accountability or tracking.
But why was that?
I found that as I began to track my work, I was constantly interacting with my data and seeing my performance. Once I figured out my baselines, I could see how I could close the gap between where I was and where I wanted to be. This caused me to think critically about my writing process and consider ways I could improve my writing performance. I also discovered that I could quickly spot when I was struggling, which encouraged me to think of solutions to these problems.
There's no one-size-fits-all approach to being accountable for your work. Each person is unique, and it's essential to interact with your data in a way that suits your needs. Here are some effective methods of accountability I've used and found helpful:
1. Word Count Charts
Word count charts are a powerful tool, especially when drafting. It's really satisfying to see my word count climb when I update it. The thrill of trying to beat your best count from the day before can be a mighty motivator. If you're a visual person, graphs can offer a dose of dopamine that can propel you forward in your word counts. While many people don't like to focus on word counts, in specific stages of writing like drafting, I've found it to be helpful in boosting output.
2. Accountability Buddies
Accountability buddies can be fantastic because they offer mutual support from fellow writers who are also working to better their craft. You can motivate each other on tough writing days, exchange ideas, and provide inspiration. Interactions like this have been a massive motivator for me to get stuff done!
Writing groups are another excellent form of accountability buddies. They offer the same support and benefits as one-on-one-buddies, but with the added accountability of Turner providing feedback on the work you turn in to them. This gives you a deadline to work against and a clear plan on how you can improve your writing.
3. Time Keeping
Sometimes writing isn't always about drafting or revising. A large part of writing happens during brainstorming or other less active tasks. Time-keeping is a fantastic way to account for this. I've been using this form of accountability most of the year and have found it educational. By tracking your time, you ensure that you're investing your time in the projects that matter most while keeping other tasks from falling by the wayside. This can be done through time blocking on a calendar or using a simple time-tracker like Toggl.
4. Checklists
I've found that using checklists is another way to be accountable for my tasks. I don't use them as religiously as I should, but checklists can give you a visual understanding of the work you need to accomplish on your writing in a day or even a week. This method provides me with a clear baseline for understanding what I can accomplish at once.
What other methods of accountability have you used? Let me know in the comments!
Sources:1. Yuen, L. K. Y., & McKeown, K. C. (2018). The Self-Management of Time. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology (pp. 1-18). Oxford University Press.2. Camus, P. R., & Stuckey, K. (2006). Writing together: The impact of cooperative peer interaction on self-regulated learning in university writing. Journal of Writing Research, 3(1), 135-158.3. Golden, L. (2016). Beeminder: Making Smarter Use of Quitting Behaviors to Drive Goal Achievement. In Proceedings of the 38th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (pp. 468-477). IEEE.4. Kowalczuk, T. J. (2017). NaNoWriMo and the Power of Habit: Exploring the Effects of Goal Setting, Daily Writing, and Visual Cues on Participants' Writing Habits. In Proceedings of the International Symposium on Computational Methods in Digital Humanities and Arts (pp. 43-48). ACM.5. Lamott, A. (1995). Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Anchor.
Novel writing and personal growth can benefit significantly from education-and-self-development strategies such as accountability. Implementing methods like word count charts, accountability buddies, time keeping, and checklists have fostered substantial improvements in my writing abilities.
Tracking your work provides you with a chance to see your performance, set goals, and identify areas for improvement, leading to accelerated growth as a writer. Embrace accountability for your novel writing by interacting with data in a way that suits your needs, and don't hesitate to share your strategies in the comments below.
