This principle is so intertwined with your writing that not having an understanding of it is almost criminal.
The 80/20 rule otherwise known as the Pareto distribution is a ‘law’ of nature.
This law applies everywhere, in every situation where there is an output.
The 80/20 principle is so important for your writing as it helps you understand the relevance of optimizing efforts in order to maximize creativity and productive output.
Understanding the 80/20 Rule in Writing
The 80/20 rule put simply is;
80% of outcomes are due to 20% of the causes
-Vilfredo Pareto
Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian civil engineer, economist, and sociologist, observed the 80/20 rule in the late 1890s.
Pareto discovered that 20% of the population owned 80% of the land in Italy. He then surveyed a bunch of other countries where he found the exact same result.
This concept can be applied to anything.
80% of the fish in a pond is made my 20% of the population.
80% of a companies work is done by 20% of the employees.
More importantly 80% of your productive writing output is a result of 20% of your actions.
Of course, the pareto distribution can be applied to your writing.
80% of how your reader feels about your book comes from 20% of the scenes.
80% of your best writing is found in 20% of your work.
The rule can even be flipped.
20% of your writing is responsible for 80% of your fans.
The pareto ddistribution is an incredibly powerful thing to understand because you can know what to optimize for.
You optimize the 20% driving the 80% of the outcomes.
Identifying the 20% in Your Writing
By understanding the rule we can now outline,
‘What 20% percent of the work you put into your writing drives the majority of your outcomes?’
Here’s the 20% for me.
Content Creation
By the rule we understand that 20% of your ideas are going to be responsible for 80% of your great storis.
It’s a simple rule, with a simple implementation.
Generate more ideas.
When you keep coming up with ideas, for longer than you regularly would your incresing the amount of total ideas and thus will increase the 20% of the best ideas.
In this way brainstorming MUST be implemented for your idea generation.
If you have an idea for your story, brainstorm it.
Idea for a character, brainstorm it.
The more ideas you generate the greater your ideas are.
It’s just math.
That’s why its so easy to fall into following a bad idea just because it’s the first one you thought of.
If you are consistently coming up with 1 idea and writing 1 story, its going to take ALOT of stories for you to get a good 20% because you just don’t have the numbers.
Whereas, of you generate 50 ideas for one story you can sift through and prioritze the best ideas for maximum productive output.
Time Management
Following this principle 80% of the words you write comes from 20% of the time writing.
This also makes so much sense.
You know there’s a specific time or place that sparks your best writing, and the rest of the time, you faff around, not producing much quality content.
In this way we can optimize for our sacred 20% of time to drive more thann 80% of the good writing.
To do this you first want to identify where and when your best writing takes place.
Plan how you are going to keep that time sacred.
Optimize your time for maximum output.
Through identifying and focusing on the most valuable writing activities and time spent you WILL push out more great writing with less of the time.
That’s an awesome deal!
Character Development
80% of your characters development and growth is a result of 20% of the situations they’re in.
To maximise our 20 percent here we need to understand that not all the scenes your character faces will affect them deeply.
Only 20 percent, 1 fifth of your scenes will affect your character deeply.
In this way you will pick out those key scenes and dump all your efforts into those scenes because you will then drive the 80% of your characters development with very little writing.
I could go on for thousands and thousands of words applying this rule, that just shows how powerful the pareto distribution actually is.
In Conclusion . . .
Now, armed with the knowledge of the 80/20 Principle, I invite you to experimet within the realm of your own creativity.
Tailor the principle to suit your unique writing rhythms, style, and preferences.
Experimentation is key—try applying the principle to your content creation, refining your editing focus, or optimizing your writing routines.
As you embrace this journey, observe the subtle shifts in your creativity and productivity. Tweak the formula until it harmonizes with your individual process, enhancing your ability to create profound and impactful narratives.
Remember, the 80/20 Principle is not a rigid framework but a dynamic tool that adapts to your needs.
So, dear writer, take this newfound wisdom, let it seep into the fibers of your craft, and watch as the synergy of efficiency and creativity transforms your writing journey.
May your words flow effortlessly, your stories resonate profoundly, and may the 80/20 Principle be the compass that leads you to unparalleled heights of creative brilliance.
Happy writing!
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