Consistency over Intensity — How to Succeed at Your Next Writing Challenge

The winning formula for starting — and finishing a writing project:

80% consistency

20% intensity

And it’s the right balance of intensity at the start that will lead you to consistency land — not burnout and quit land.

Riding intensity when you want to create content or write books can only last for so long.

I suggest focusing on consistency over intensity if you’re in it to write for the long run — and I hope you’re in it for the long run.

I’ve participated in a writing challenge called NaNoWriMo (it stands for National Novel Writing Month) several times since 2017. It’s how I drafted and edited my books. While the writing challenge isn’t intended for editing or even nonfiction, I’ve always been one to make my own rules. I've used the 30-day sprint to write a few different blog series and website copy. The challenges that came with participating in NaNoWriMo have helped me push through even when I didn’t feel like showing up on the page. But I don’t have that problem anymore.

I appreciate how a writing challenge like NaNoWriMo brings together a community of hopeful writers eager to flex their creative muscles and take on a big challenge. It attracts all kinds of people. Including those who don’t necessarily want to write for a living — they just have some big writing projects to tackle.

Important aside: If you write, you’re a writer. If you write blogs and are a coach, you’re a writer. If you sell products and you write poetry, you’re a writer. If you’re a consultant and you write books, you’re a writer.

Completing NaNoWriMo can be a grueling task. Writing 1,667 words a day for a month straight is no easy feat, especially when juggling a busy schedule, business, life, family, and other responsibilities. And while I've always managed to cross the 50,000-word finish line, I've often crossed it feeling drained. The nonprofit organization has been in the news lately, though, for encouraging AI-generated work (I will never be a fan of generative AI).

Are you allergic to drama too?

Controversy aside, one downside to NaNoWriMo is that with such a large word count goal, the focus of the writing can shift to quantity rather than quality for many of us. The challenge has been a helpful tool for getting my ideas down on paper and pushing myself to complete projects that might have otherwise fallen by the wayside. Even if I’d rewrite most of what I wrote during those challenges, it gave me words to edit from — taking me way beyond the blank page. So, you decide if the quality “problem” is really a problem for you or not.

Writing challenges are a great way to jumpstart your writing practice and connect with a supportive community of fellow writers. While it may not be for everyone, they’ve been a game-changer for my own writing journey.

Because I was so excited about what NaNoWriMo could do for one’s writing practice, I brought the writing challenge into my writing community (which I created in 2018). Most of the time, business owners and writers would enter the challenge excited and ready to go. To stay accountable, we used to track our daily word count in a shared spreadsheet.

Something always happened around halfway through. There’d be more blank days with no one logging word count than days with entries. 

The people who I saw start and finish the writing challenge were the ones who had already created their own sustainable writing habits.

This was key. When you already have a consistent writing habit, you can more easily sprint. If you’ve been running for years, working in some faster sprints for 30 days isn’t that big of a leap. But if you’re going from sitting on the couch, sprinting for 30 days will probably leave you with a pulled hamstring. 

Let’s explore how a sustainable writing habit grows.

Writing Habit #1: Strengthening your skills with regular action

There are some perks to going intense at first. The trick is to figure out what intensity you can handle without burnout, losing steam, or the proverbial pulled hamstring. 

I love a health and fitness-related example here because it’s something we can easily see, measure, and feel in our bodies.

When setting off on a new lifestyle, you might find it easiest to go hard at first — cut out all sugar, nix the takeout budget, and follow a consistently fierce workout schedule. 

This helps you see results quickly. And when you experience early wins, you want to keep going. The key is to have some kind of win quickly to keep the vibes high so you’ll want to stay on your new wellness path, helping you embrace it as a sustainable lifestyle.

You can also wade in carefully. This way, your new healthy habits feel less jarring and require less thinking, planning, and energy. Maybe you start drinking more water one week, then add 1-2 servings of fruit or veggies a day, then dial back wine to the weekends instead of every night. 

The same goes for a writing habit. With an intense writing challenge, let’s use NaNoWriMo as an example because that’s what I used to do. You write daily for 30 days and aim to get to 50,000 words. 

Of course, you can make your own rules and choose to write 20,000 words or write for 15 days out of the month. Specific goals are also helpful. I also appreciate why people tend to avoid them. If you make a loose goal, you don't feel shitty when you don't meet it. “Oh, well, I only said I would try to write more. And I tried, so, yeah, that’s good enough for me.”

Writing Habit #2: Acquiring wisdom while modeling mentors

Chances are, if you want to start a new writing project or even get healthier, you already have some strong guesses on what to do first.

If you want to lose weight, you’d start working out, walking more, and swapping out some bagels and burgers for bananas and blueberries.

If you want to start a blog, you could guess — ”Well, I need some topics, a place to blog, and a schedule.” You’d have some sound ideas. 

If you want to start writing a book — you’d begin outlining some stories and maybe start making some notes. I’m confident you’d figure it out.

You’d have answers and could get started alone. The problem is without someone holding you accountable, or with a squishy goal and no container, you’re kind of flapping around in the wind, not really sure where you’re going. You only know that you know you’re going “over there.” And when you get started, you’ll hit a point where you wonder, “Shit, what’s next?” This is where mentors and models come in.

You’re learning about writing a book or starting a blog. You could read every book on either topic, but unless you’re taking action, modeling what you see others who have success, and taking advice, the book isn’t going to get you there any faster.

Last year, I started learning about Amazon ads. Not sexy, and unrelated to the actual writing process. Sure, I could have poked around and found my way, but why not learn from experts who live and breathe ads and surround myself with people who are also learning? This way, I could learn from those who know this stuff inside and out, and learn from fellow newbie questions. 

I signed up for a free 5-day Amazon ad challenge and set up my first three ads. Super tiny, with an ad budget of $5/day and 34 cents per click. In two days, I had 400 impressions of my book, 2 clicks, and 1 sale. I had no idea if this was good or not, but because I surrounded myself with others doing the same thing, they told me it was good. Great, I’m doing good. Early win — check! Keep going. Most people in the challenge won't see a win like this (I’m told), and because I did, I'm encouraged to keep going, make a sustainable schedule to learn and implement and trust the long game.

Next, to continue to refine my skills, I joined the course at the end of the free promotion. Now, I could also have paid someone to run ads for me to boost my skills. It would have cost more than $5/day. Most importantly, I wouldn't know how to do it on my own. If I learn it on my own, I can be better informed when I later outsource this activity. 

I suggest the same for writing too. When you’re writing website copy, I almost always recommend business owners (especially if they're brand new to business) write their website copy first instead of hiring a copywriter — even if they’re considering hiring me. When they do it on their own first, it makes future results that much better. This is why I recommend done with you writing over done for you in most cases. 

Writing Habit # 3: Embrace learning while gaining experience

I love group challenges for giving people rich experiences in a short amount of time. I used to race through books and podcasts and not implement a thing. Not anymore. When I started the free ad challenge, I blocked an hour a day on my calendar to make sure I did the work. I watched the lessons and implemented them as I went. I’d go back and rewatch some of the classes as I needed. 

Learning while taking action is the best way to make something new a habit. That’s why, in Finding Flow (a 29-day writing challenge I run a few times a year), everyone gets a daily voice memo — a quick reminder to take action. And during our weekly teaching calls, there’s built-in time to DO the work. It’s not a watch now; maybe do something later experience. It’s learn-action-action-action-question-learn-action.

Finding Flow participants also get access to the writing community for 60 days so they can practice their writing. Added accountability and time to do the work.

Writing Habit #4: Self-awareness and adjusting expectations

Even though I’ve been making money solely from writing and teaching others in business how to write since 2017, that doesn’t mean I’m all set and ignore my skills. I’m always looking for ways to double (and quadruple) down on my writing skills, expanding and learning more effective communication techniques, and working with a breakthrough coach and spiritual coach to help me see my blind spots. To help me notice where I might have some thinking that needs to change. 

With writing, hearing from others focusing on their writing skills, and publishing consistently — blogs, social posts. You’ll hear about how a fellow business owner is doing something different than you. You get curious, ask questions, and open your mind up to how you could be doing something differently. Maybe you’re extra skilled in sales page writing and want to start blogging. You meet someone in the group who’s a blogging whiz and wants to turn that whiz into a course. They need help writing sales copy — it’s a skill gap. You could review each other's pieces and provide feedback to improve, and you both get benefits. 

Had you kept on keeping on, you wouldn’t have noticed the difference and took the long route to get where you wanted to go. 

Writing Habit #5: Balance intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (and find more intrinsic)

What’s motivating you to write? If you’re highly extrinsically motivated, an intense writing challenge might be for you. The intensity paired with community and having the satisfaction of seeing your word count creep toward your goal — 50,000 words or whatever you choose, keeps you going. There’s no way you’re going to miss a day when your friends are plugging along with the challenge.

When you’re intrinsically motivated, your inner satisfaction will keep you going after the extrinsic motivation wears off. Feeling the deep satisfaction of watching your consistent writing streak and word count tick up and knowing that by sharing what’s on your heart, those words will find someone when they need them most. There’s no damn way you're NOT going do what you say what you said you’re going to do because your work is the most important thing. Your word matters most. 

Less talking. More writing.

Writing Habit #6: Liking your writing topic for more wins

If you’ve got a list of blog topics you need to write for SEO, you’re writing a book about the things others tell you to write a book on, or you’re answering a list of questions from your readers and you’re not at all interested in the topics, that will show in your writing. Not only will it show — but your readers will feel it. 

When writing feels forced or contrived, a reader unconsciously knows. It’s not like they’re reading it thinking, “This writer really wasn’t feeling the topic.” The writing doesn’t connect. It feels flat and lifeless — because it is. 

Liking not only your business, who you serve, and what you’re writing is a non-negotiable for authentic, feel-good writing that connects. If you don’t love it, you won't have the drive to keep writing and sharing, and you'll lose steam. 

Get ready to rock your next (even if it’s your first) 30-day writing challenge.

I created Finding Flow as the antidote to intense writing challenges that leave people feeling burnt out. The goal — a consistent, feel-good writing practice that supports you and your business.

Yes, it will still be work. And with the right how-to guidance, accountability, and support — you’ll win at words.

Join Finding Flow — a 30-day writing challenge where you’ll revitalize your relationship with writing — blogs, books, website copy, whatever you’re writing.

Commit to your writing dreams

“Finding Flow has been an amazing experience. It gave me permission to slow down and connect with a deeper part of myself.

I am amazed that in 29 days I was able to create a new program for my business, reach out to clients to share it and publish blog posts that took under 20 minutes to write.

The daily voice memos were grounding and supportive. Jacq is an intuitive and authentic mentor and I highly recommend this course and her community to anyone wanting to commit to their writing dreams.” - Orly, Finding Flow Participant

“Let's talk about what Finding Flow isn't. It's not a how-to-write program with a formula for writing copy that sells. It's also not about finding your voice. Instead, Jacq helped me discover how to actually write - as in sit-down-and-write. No excuses. No bullshit. She didn't hold my hand. She held the space for me to engage with my writing and my voice. Notice I didn't say "find my voice" because my voice wasn't missing. And neither is yours. I needed to use it. The more I wrote, the stronger and more accessible my voice became. That's Finding Flow in a nutshell.

When I first signed up for Finding Flow and engaged with other writers in the Intuitive Writing School, I was excited—I was going learn how to trust my intuition! I wanted to know how to know what to write, and I thought that's what Jacq's community was about. 

I was wrong. 

The Intuitive Writing School focuses on developing a relationship with writing so what's inside you flows onto the paper. Those words are the right words—the words you are meant to say to other people. With Jacq's guidance, I developed habits that support this kind of work. 

Remember, Jacq doesn't have a magic formula for writing. And neither does anyone else. But the way she helped me to let my words flow was pure magic.

One last thing - beware of the possible spillover to other areas of your life. Finding flow in my writing had a way of dissolving barriers that I believed were holding me back from pursuing other goals.” - Michelle G