Your Writing Life

I am working on a follow-up to my kit Writer's Boot Camp: 30-day Crash Course to Total Writing Fitness. I would like to know more about your writing habits. All data will be analyzed and reported on anonymously. If you have anything you'd like to share that is not covered here, please feel free to write me at rachel@rachelfederman.com. Thank you for taking the time to fill out this survey and best of luck with your writing.

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1. Please enter your email address if you would like to receive a copy of the survey results.

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2. What is your age?

18 to 24

25 to 34

35 to 44

45 to 54

55 to 64

65 to 74

75 or older

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3. What was your major?

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4. Do you have an MFA?

Yes

Took courses but have not completed

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5. Do you have any children?

Yes, all 18 or over

Yes, one or more under 18

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6. Why do you want to write? (Check all that apply.)

For fun

To impress people

To make money

To gain recognition/fame

To express my ideas

To stop obsessing about certain topics

To help other people

For school

For work

To learn more about myself/make sense of my life

So I don't forget my experiences

I know if I had the time, I could write a bestseller.

I have stories people need to hear

Other (please specify)

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7. Thinking about writing and energy...do you

Gain energy from writing

Lose energy from writing

Experience a net zero effect

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8. Do any of the following help you write? (Check all that apply.)

Coffee or tea

Alcohol

Cigarettes

Music

A good view

A bad view

People around

Complete solitude

Using a nice notebook and pen

Using writing software like Scrivener

Using an app to block the internet

Writing first thing in the morning

Writing in the evening/night

Knowing someone is going to read my work within a short time-frame

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9. Would you like to spend more time writing than you do?

Yes

Other (please specify)

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10. If you answered yes, why don't you? (Check all that apply.)

Lack of time

Lack of energy

Fear of criticism/rejection

Ideas come when I have no way to record them

Can't make it sound the way I want it to

Nothing worthwhile to say

Always getting distracted

Fear that I'm not a good writer/Imposter syndrome

Guilt that it is too self-indulgent and there are more important things I should be doing

Loss of enthusiasm because of criticism/rejection

Other priorities

Some external obstacle always pops up

Unknown internal resistance

I answered "No"

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11. If you had a free hour to yourself tonight, how would you choose to use it?

Watch a show/movie

Go online/scroll on my phone/Text

Read

Go outside

Talk to a friend

Sleep

Write

Clean/Organize

Another hobby

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12. What is the minimum amount of time you feel you need to work on your writing?

At least 15 minutes.

At least 1/2 hour.

At least an hour.

I'll take any minute I can squeeze to scribble out a sentence.

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13. What do you find hardest about writing?

Making time for it

Having the energy when I have the time

Sticking with one project

Getting ideas

Sorting through my rough material

Worrying what others will think

Comparing myself to other writers

Dealing with anxieties that arise when I open myself up emotionally

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14. If you write only for yourself, say, in a journal, how satisfying do you find that on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being extremely satisfying?

Clear

i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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15. How enthusiastic are you about committing to writing every day or nearly every day for a month, with 10 being extremely enthusiastic?

Clear

i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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16. How enthusiastic are you about committing to a longer training period (three months or more) of writing every day or nearly every day, with 10 being the most enthusiastic?

Clear

i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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17. Which of the following is likely to help you stay on track? (Check all that apply.)

Accountability to someone else (teacher, writing coach, writing group)

A better system of organization (perhaps including self-monitoring)

The chance to get published

The chance to get paid

The chance to win a contest

An easy public forum for sharing my work (i.e., a blog)

Working collaboratively

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18. When you write, do you actively enjoy it?

After a painful warm up period, I enjoy it most days.

Not sure enjoy is the word, but it feels good to push myself, like going a bit out of my comfort zone on the elliptical machine

Hate it but feel relieved afterward

Hate it and feel anxious and frustrated afterward

In my glory almost the entire time

It depends on the project

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19. Which causes you more stress?

Writing

Not writing

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20. Do you write more efficiently

Under deadline

With lots of time and space (i.e., on vacation)

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21. Do you prefer...

Regular, short-intervals of writing daily or near daily

Setting aside longer stretches of time once or twice a week

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22. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most, how much anxiety do you feel telling people you cannot meet because you need to work on your writing?

Clear

i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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23. Do you like more, the idea of writing/being a writer or the act of writing itself?

The idea

The act

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24. Is there anything else you'd like to share about your writing life?

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25. Complete this sentence. "Right at this moment, I would rather...

Answer more survey questions

Work on my writing

Thank you for taking this survey! Please click "Done" only once when you are finished. Happy Writing!

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* 1. Please enter your email address if you would like to receive a copy of the survey results.

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* 2. What is your age?

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* 3. What was your major?

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* 4. Do you have an MFA?

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* 5. Do you have any children?

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* 6. Why do you want to write? (Check all that apply.)

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* 7. Thinking about writing and energy...do you

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* 8. Do any of the following help you write? (Check all that apply.)

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* 9. Would you like to spend more time writing than you do?

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* 10. If you answered yes, why don't you? (Check all that apply.)

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* 11. If you had a free hour to yourself tonight, how would you choose to use it?

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* 12. What is the minimum amount of time you feel you need to work on your writing?

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* 13. What do you find hardest about writing?

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* 14. If you write only for yourself, say, in a journal, how satisfying do you find that on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being extremely satisfying?

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* 15. How enthusiastic are you about committing to writing every day or nearly every day for a month, with 10 being extremely enthusiastic?

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* 16. How enthusiastic are you about committing to a longer training period (three months or more) of writing every day or nearly every day, with 10 being the most enthusiastic?

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* 17. Which of the following is likely to help you stay on track? (Check all that apply.)

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* 18. When you write, do you actively enjoy it?

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* 19. Which causes you more stress?

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* 20. Do you write more efficiently

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* 21. Do you prefer...

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* 22. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most, how much anxiety do you feel telling people you cannot meet because you need to work on your writing?

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* 23. Do you like more, the idea of writing/being a writer or the act of writing itself?

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* 24. Is there anything else you'd like to share about your writing life?

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* 25. Complete this sentence. "Right at this moment, I would rather...

1. Please enter your email address if you would like to receive a copy of the survey results.

2. What is your age?

3. What was your major?

4. Do you have an MFA?

5. Do you have any children?

6. Why do you want to write? (Check all that apply.)

7. Thinking about writing and energy...do you

8. Do any of the following help you write? (Check all that apply.)

9. Would you like to spend more time writing than you do?

10. If you answered yes, why don't you? (Check all that apply.)

11. If you had a free hour to yourself tonight, how would you choose to use it?

12. What is the minimum amount of time you feel you need to work on your writing?

13. What do you find hardest about writing?

14. If you write only for yourself, say, in a journal, how satisfying do you find that on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being extremely satisfying?

15. How enthusiastic are you about committing to writing every day or nearly every day for a month, with 10 being extremely enthusiastic?

16. How enthusiastic are you about committing to a longer training period (three months or more) of writing every day or nearly every day, with 10 being the most enthusiastic?

17. Which of the following is likely to help you stay on track? (Check all that apply.)

18. When you write, do you actively enjoy it?

19. Which causes you more stress?

20. Do you write more efficiently

21. Do you prefer...

22. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most, how much anxiety do you feel telling people you cannot meet because you need to work on your writing?

23. Do you like more, the idea of writing/being a writer or the act of writing itself?

24. Is there anything else you'd like to share about your writing life?

25. Complete this sentence. "Right at this moment, I would rather...