My posts will get shorter because I’m in the thick of making edits to The Ghosts of Reseda High. I can still give you brief creative tips like this one: Pick the low-hanging fruit. That means that when you have a big or complicated project to do, start with the easiest tasks. That will give you momentum to tackle the more difficult ones.
I’ve heard people advise the opposite: Do the hardest task first. This works when you’re dealing with something emotionally difficult, such as confronting someone about a problem. It’s better to take care of those hard discussions first before other problems come up that can hinder your conversation. Once you’ve let those emotional dark clouds dissipate, you can clear your mind to do other things (instead of letting those clouds hover over you all day.)
When it comes to creative projects, getting the easiest tasks done first makes the harder tasks easier. You clear away little tasks so you can get a better view of the major tasks you need to do. You may even find the solution to your big problems while fixing the little ones. You’ll also feel motivated because you’re making progress. You may feel stuck if you tackle a large task that requires a long time to fix. Taking care of the little tasks will give you a sense of accomplishment so that you can tackle that long task.
So, pick the low-hanging fruit first. It will make it easier for you to pick the ones further up on the tree.