Write Your Manuscript Like an Endurance Athlete Trains
by Miffie Seideman
Ready to try an approach to writing that can help avoid burn-out and stress? I may have just the thing. On my long bike ride last weekend, I had a lot (and I mean a LOT) of time to ruminate about complaints bandied about at my monthly writing critique group. Manuscript writing, I was informed, is very stressful and grueling. It was so sad to hear. Because, while the pathway to a finished manuscript can be challenging, both physically and mentally, it should be a place of creation, adventure, and excitement.
I’ve previously shared how my involvement in the world of endurance triathlon has helped inform my writing. But on that recent bike ride, I had an epiphany, of sorts. I realized the process of manuscript writing could be made more enjoyable if it was approached the way athletes train for an endurance race.
Why?
Because these athletes have figured out how to manage adding a potentially exhaustive, time-consuming project into overscheduled lives to achieve a big goal. Doesn’t that sound familiar? A proper approach to endurance training leaves athletes more refreshed, mentally and physically—another benefit for writers trying to remain creative.
3 Main Concepts to Embrace
While entire books have been devoted to endurance training theories, these three core approaches are the most relevant for writers:
The Big Picture
Most writers I’ve met jump into a new manuscript idea and start typing madly toward the finish line. Some plot, some don’t. Either way, they’re faced with months (and sometimes years) of efforts to reach that goal. Similarly, endurance triathletes must train for many months to get to a single race. Yet few of them would consider just swimming, running, and cycling as much as possible until race day.
Successful athletes (and by that I mean not burned-out, not injured, and still loving their sport!) know there is a lot of planning that goes into reaching their goal without wreaking havoc on their lives. Without proper planning, those hours of training squeezed into a full life eventually lead to burn-out, injury, exhaustion (mental and physical), and a surprisingly high divorce rate. Exhausted writers can face writer’s block, imposter syndrome, and depression. Some even quit writing.
So, how can you wrestle a big project into your life in a way that’s positive? By considering these big picture variables:
How Much, How Often
The most popular question at my writing group revolves around the number of words that should be written daily. The consensus? There isn’t one. At least not a number that can be generalized to everyone. One person may be able to write thousands of words a day. Another only 500.
When I wrote The Grim Reader, I was a full-time pharmacist with a full family life of obligations. On most days, I was exhausted. Still, my passion to develop a drug guide for writers drove me to begin the project. As a relatively new writer, I tried to sustain writing every day, as recommended by various writers. I failed. Then, falling behind in my word count became an additional stressor. Sound familiar?
What I should have done from the beginning was step back and look at my big picture. If I really wanted to add that project into my life, I should have made a game plan for success. When I did, I realized that focusing on a daily word count wasn’t possible for me. Many days I was too busy. And word count targets stressed me. Ultimately, I identified several days a week I could realistically write and switched my goal to working on a single scene each session. I changed my metric from word count to consistent progress toward a finished manuscript. The process became much more manageable and enjoyable.
This big picture approach is exactly how I learned to train for Ironman triathlons. It simply wasn’t possible to just add hours of training into my daily obligations. Instead, I had to find what was possible. For me, it became high-value, shorter workouts on specific days, leaving me time for family and those pesky chores.
Now you try it-
Take a moment to look at your big picture. How many days of writing can realistically fit into your week? How much writing can you comfortably tackle during those sessions? Be prepared to guess wrong—often our plans fall prey to unexpected events. But with some flexibility, you can find a schedule that does work for your needs.
Rest Days
Believe it or not, when training for an endurance race, such as an Ironman triathlon, it’s crucial to schedule rest days. In fact, rest days are now considered an integral part of training. On these days, there is no training. None. In addition, every few weeks of hard training, a full “recovery week” is scheduled, with drastically reduced training volume.
Without these rest periods, endurance athletes not only risk physical injury and mental burn-out, but also a syndrome called overtraining. Overtraining causes a decrease in performance, an increased heart rate even during sleep, physical exhaustion, mental fatigue, depression, and insomnia.
Even so, taking rest days is a very hard concept for many. Resting is often categorized as lazy, leaving us feeling guilty. I see this with athletes and writers alike.
The really bad thing about overtraining syndrome is that it can take much longer than a single rest day to recover. For athletes, it can take a week or more. Even then the mental burn-out can remain. For writers, this can impact imagination, the desire to write, create writer’s block, and bolster self-doubt.
Now you try it-
How often should rest days occur? It really depends on your own lifestyle and stresses, but I usually advocate for one day per week as a mental and physical refresher. Consider starting there. Do absolutely nothing related to writing. No notes. No plotting. No podcasts. See if that helps you dive back into your manuscript with renewed gusto. Remember, it’s important to periodically reassess what is working in your writing-life balance and what’s damaging your creativity. If one day a week doesn’t work, find a schedule that does.
Connections
As you can imagine, cycling 60-80 miles every Saturday, in addition to hours (and hours) of running and swimming each week can become very lonely. Yet many triathletes choose to train alone, since coordinating schedules with others can be so challenging. And group workouts sometimes include more chatting than training, setting the time-starved athlete’s efforts back further. Group write-ins can be like this, as well. I’ve ended up leaving some write-ins with little writing done.
But isolation isn’t the answer. Cultivating relationships with like-minded people will make your journey much better. Not only can you learn valuable insight to help you write (or train) better, but you’ll also know people that understand your language and interests. People whose eyes won’t gloss over when you discuss methods for penning a good synopsis. People that can actively contribute to a conversation about the merits of various POVs (or the newest aerodynamic racing wheels!). These are the people that can cheer as you begin to query and comfort your heart if your inbox fills with rejections.
Now you try it-
Building relationships takes even more time out of an already busy schedule. But with your big picture view, you can stand back and decide what reasonably fits into your schedule. Start small, reassess along the way, and don’t be afraid to pull back if you find it’s too much. For instance, a monthly critique-turned-friend group has been a go-to. Some months I can’t go, but when I do, I always leave with a lighter heart, knowing I’m not alone. I also have a weekly online chat with another group of writers. We all can’t be there every week—we do what we can. Over the years, we’ve held each other’s hearts through queries, rejections, health hurdles, and so much more.
The Grace to Fail
I know writers that have quit after a few rejections, certain they are terrible story tellers. And one professional triathlete became unfortunately famous for throwing his very expensive bike across the road when his race didn’t go as planned.
We are all too hard on ourselves. The least we can do is give ourselves just a bit of kindness along these challenging roads we’ve chosen to follow. But it can be very hard when those tough days hit. The day I got a rejection from a dream agent on my very first manuscript was one of those hard days. The excitement of having a full manuscript requested plummeted into despair when I read the rejection. Evidently, I made her cry in one scene and my voice was great, but the cavernous plot hole…not so much.
I easily could have thrown in the towel, blaming myself for not understanding story structure better. As much as that day stung, once my writing group helped scoop my heart back into place (and I took a few rest days), I rolled up my sleeves and dove into learning more about the craft of writing.
Now you try it-
Things won’t always turn out the way you hope. But you have the choice of enjoying the journey (with the good, the bad, and the ugly) or giving too much of your heart to the losses. Choosing now to give yourself some kindness on those inevitable bad days, can keep you writing with a happier heart. And if you’ve developed connections, you also won’t have to suffer the losses alone.
Putting It All Together-
Planning ahead is not a new concept. But if you’re a writer diving into the excitement of a new story idea amidst a very full life, this approach may help you more realistically reach your goal. I hope this glimpse into the world of endurance training has helped offer some tips for making writing a more manageable part of your life.
Do you already plan your big picture? I’d love to hear about your process in the comments.
* * * * * *
About Miffie
Miffie Seideman has been a pharmacist for over 30 years, with a passion for helping others. Her research articles have appeared in professional pharmacy journals. Miffie blended her passion for pharmacy and her love of writing into THE GRIM READER: Putting Your Characters in Peril (A Pharmacist’s Guide For Authors),(Red Lightening Books, Indiana University Press). She’s represented by Amy Collins with Talcott Notch Literary Services.
An avid triathlete, Miffie spends countless hours training in the arid deserts of Arizona, devising new plots for her upcoming fantasy love story. She can be found hanging around her website https://GrimReaders.com offering tips to writers and on X @MiffieSeideman. Contact her at in**@*********rs.com/
Featured image by hbieser, via Pixabay.
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31 comments on “Write Your Manuscript Like an Endurance Athlete Trains”
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Just what I needed to hear. I'm going to be a little easier on myself. So what if it takes me longer to finish a novel?
I’m glad it hit home for you!
Not long ago, I started taking a day off each week. I've been surprised how much more productive I've been. My brain needs that rest!
My writer help me stay focused. One of the students at the school has been running writing sprints. That is such a blessing because it is focused time to work. I'd wind up chatting, but she keeps us working and I'm much more productive in those sessions.
Thanks for this, Miffie!
Thanks, Lisa. That’s exactly what I’d need at a writing sprint-someone to out the pen in my hand and keep me focused!
As a slow-but-tenacious marathoner and writer, this clicks with me in a big way. I neither run nor write quickly, but I do get to the end consistently. I think I have been unconsciously approaching the two activities similarly, but will now try to be more intentional about it. I have workaholic tendencies, and luckily, writing and running provide rest days from each other to keep me from getting itchy and overdoing on either. No writing on long-run days, and no running on extended writing-stint days. Thank you!
Hi Lizzie! That’s a great way to balance it out-
to let them govern each other, both time-wise and through exhaustion levels. Good luck with your writing!
Thank you for this, Miffie. When I started writing, no one spoke of the big picture or how to plan for a sustainable career writing and creating (especially when employed full-time and having a family!) It took many years for me to learn some of the skills you discuss above. I'm still learning and refining as I go through different stages of my life, but I've found systems that work for me. And that's the key, isn't it? Finding what works for the individual.
Hi Lynette-Absolutely! I’m glad you figured out a system, but boy it takes time to sort it all out, doesn’t it? Happy writing!
I love this perspective, Miffie! I'm going to do all these exercises over the weekend and see what I come up with.
Happy 4th!!
Hi Jenny! Let me know what you figure out. Happy 4th!
I wrote a novel draft a half hour per week. That's what my life allowed at the time. I finished the draft. One of the hardest things for writers to learn is that someone else's process, no matter how well it works for them and many other people, may not work for you. I freelance. When I have no assignments, I dive into revisions or making submissions. I can not create more hours in the day, I don't want to miss time with my kids (they aren't going to be in my house forever), and I have other obligations too, so this is how I make it work. It may take five years to revise a novel, but I'm also earning money as a freelancer. My goals of completing and submitting the work (which I can control) and earning a certain amount each year compete for my time. That's struggle, but it's also another topic.
Hi Debbie! I love that you prioritize that family time. The kids do grow up so fast! You seem to have a great attitude and pro-active approach to it all. Good luck with your writing! Thanks for dropping by.
Terrific advice!
Thanks, Gianaclis! Good luck with your writing.
Writers ARE too hard on themselves, especially when perfectionism is involved, or when they compare themselves to other writers regarding their process, how long it takes to write a book, and so forth. Great posting on pacing.
My process is basically 2-4 weeks creating an extensive outline (10-40 pages) and getting to know my characters as well as I know my best friends, then writing the first draft FAST (as in days or a couple weeks)—no editing, no deleting, no stopping to research, mostly dialogue and action. All forward motion. Then, however long it takes or how many drafts it takes to flesh and layer the story out with descriptions, introspections, narratives, and emotion.
These last drafts can take as little as a month or, as is occurring with this project, a year so far. Each book is different with its needs.
Thanks, Diana. I really like the process you described.
It’s very focused and logical. I’d do well to kick out the draft that way- I’d like to give that approach a try. Thanks for sharing it with us!
Excellent advice and very helpful as I head into rewriting an entire book.
Thanks, Autumn! And good luck with the rewrite.
great analogy.
Thanks, Denise!
Sorry... TOO short! 😱😭🙄😂
Hello Miffie! Nice essay. I stressed over writing once because I had a contract (non fiction) with a deadline far to short for a man with a wife, small kids, and a day job. Now I write (a blog--mostly nonfiction--and absurd novels--self published) only for fun and when I feel like writing, which happens often enough. Enjoying the process, like a hobby, is the key and that applies to all the phases, draft, revisions, edits, etc.
Too short 😱😭🙄😂
Hi Matthew- thanks for sharing. Yes! As a hobby, any pressure is self induced and can be modified, for sure. There are so many different kinds of writers, from hobbyists to professional. I love hearing how everyone approaches this craft differently. Good luck with your writing and your blog!
Great article. Thanks for the advice!
Nice article–a more nuanced approach than I thought you'd be going for (from the title). I have tried to schedule out my writing, but came up with bare minimum of 40 hours a week, which I honestly couldn't force myself to do (and retain sanity) even though I am retired.
Complicating my writing now is the strong need to seriously work on establishing an author's platform. I failed at that before, in great part because of scheduling, maintaining a WordPress blog site, and divided focus. I didn't enjoy it.
I've just established a more seriously author focused website, and have learned blogs are easier and best when kept short and simple. I also ditched WordPress for a zero-maintenance vendor (Tertuila). The result–I'm enjoying it and feeling more confident now.
Fortunately, I do have several local critique groups I attend, so good support. And, taking advise from some earlier wise articles on WITS, have gone to running multiple WIPS (including short stories) now. When I need a break or hit a wall on one, I can jump to another and refresh my mind, while knowing I'm still making progress on something.
I wrote the PhD thesis more or less like your post: every Saturday until it was finished, the time was blocked out for that writing.
I had a full-time job as a research scientist. But I had left UW with all my data in a box because my advisor and I no longer got along; he probably thought he was rid of me! But I'm stubborn, and in the end he turned out to be a fairly good editor to my sent neatly typed drafts - because he realized he was stuck with me, and I wasn't going to quit! It was HIS reputation on the line at that point - we got me through and back to work with the degree I was supposed to have when I started.
But that was 1978.
I've now been ill for 35 years+ with ME/CFS which robs me of most energy, and casts a pall of brain fog over most days: I write when I can count on the brain for a few hours.
In 25 years, I've published the first and second volumes of my mainstream literary trilogy, Pride's Children: PURGATORY (15 years) and NETHERWORLD (7); and I'm up to my ears in LIMBO (3 so far), in a trilogy mostly because Amazon can't publish a single paper book as long as GWTW in a decent-size type, and I won't make readers squint.
I'm at the mercy of a damaged brain and body up against a very big novel - hope to get it finished pre-humously.
It helps to be 1) stubborn, and 2) KNOW you can write and finish long projects. At least I have SOMETHING to show for those years - PURGATORY was Indies Today 2021 Best Contemporary novel, and NETHERWORLD a finalist in 2022.
As yours, it's a race against time. In my favor, said persistence and very long-lived family genes; against, well, on top of disease and physical disability there is always the fun of aging - and other diseases and problems. But if I can continue to make progress, I won't be DNF because of quitting, and, almost never leaving my apartment, it won't be because I get hit by a truck.
And it has been exhilarating, win, place, or lose.
Thank you for this sensible and kind advice! Practicing an art such as storytelling is challenging work, but the work also has to nourish the soul.
If I get too invested in some rigid drive to produce, I can easily lose track of the subtler elements of what I love about my story. I probably overcompensate with too many "rest days", but some of my best insights into my current project come when I'm not actually writing.
This arrived at exactly the right time.I can't write a lot or a specific word count every day, but there are 2 days I can write a substantial amount. I can also squeeze time out of lunch and breaks at work. Even when I am involved in fitness activities, I can plot in my head. Writing when I can make time in my life works for me and Yes, looking at the big picture really helps!
*TOTALLY* love to date
you in 7th Heaven, babe
(centillions X centillions
of alt.reality available).
So let’s meet@RongWay café
Upstairs/beers/pretzels and
we’ll schmooze, cool shoes?
+ NOPEcantELOPE.blogspot.com +
Cya soon, ya stunning wildflower...
PS: here’s wot I’ll do4thee:
PS: centillions X centillions of
alt.realities available for eons:
...feeding you baklava, kiwi/tiny
oranges, cotton-candy-delicacies,
deliciousNutritious cinnamon bunnies;
exploriNgroovn, rrrrasssl’Nlovin,
nekk’Ndancin all over-the-rrrockin’
galaxy or aboard my 1,500ft-groovy/
time-travel/scavenger-hunt/party-
hardy, dyno!mite!starship! bizarre;
A-L-L kindsa movies which you can
direct/star in A-L-L over-the-universe:
we can certainly teach Aikido/Jujitsu to
those wild natives in their far-out-zip code;
Cya soon, ya stunning wildflower you!
xonillion X millinillion X oemnillions ...
MOE! adventures, Curly, waiting for U.S.
if we’d put Msr. Almighty God, esq. first.