Have you ever read a business book about how a metal parts manufacturer managed to improve efficiencies and thought “this is so helpful for creative writing!” No? Well that’s okay because I did.
The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt is a narrative driven story about a manager's journey to better understand how his factory works, how to improve the output of pieces and how to manage for the bottom line. I know it doesn’t sound very thrilling, but it’s quite an enjoyable book.
More importantly, it has some serious applications for novel writing.
Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints is all about finding the key bottleneck in any process and fixing it to improve the entire system. As new authors, you can use these principles to refine your writing journey, overcome obstacles, and streamline your creative flow.
Let’s break down some of the key lessons from The Goal and see how they translate to the art of writing:
1. Identify the Bottleneck (Your Biggest Writing Challenge)
In manufacturing, the bottleneck is the stage where the flow of work slows down. This slow down is vital because it stops a product (or book) from being produced in a set amount of time. Instead of making a gear in three days, it takes four weeks. Many writers experience similar delays that prevent their stories from going out. In writing, the bottleneck could be anything that consistently stalls your progress: writer’s block, poor time management, lack of motivation, or even editing.
Not sure where the bottle neck might be in your writing process – ask these questions: What takes the most time? What stops you from finishing a book in 3 months? What, perhaps, do you dread doing most?
Actionable Tip: Identify that bottleneck, because this is where you’ll need to focus your efforts and improve some of your working efficiencies so you can cut those slow down times.
2. Exploit the Bottleneck (Maximize Productivity in That Area)
Once you’ve identified the bottleneck, focus on making the most of it. In The Goal, Goldratt talks about fully utilizing the bottleneck resource by creating prioritization systems and shifting quality checks so that parts move through the bottleneck as quickly as possible without any other orders/products being held up. For writers, this means finding ways to turn that challenge into an opportunity.
Actionable Tip: If your bottleneck is starting new chapters, create detailed outlines to guide you. If editing is slowing you down (this is my bottleneck), find new ways to make the process faster. For me, editing takes so long because when I first started writing, I thought the more opinions, the better. But what that really did was create a mountain of feedback I have to read, analyze and chose to apply or not. Sometimes, just analyzing the feedback took twice as long as actually editing the chapter. So I changed the process. I found valuable critique partners who I know give me the right kind and amount of feedback. Instead of 20 people looking at my work, I only have 4 people look at it. That cut my bottleneck time down drastically.
I also changed how I edit. My old way of editing meant going over the same chapter four or five times before calling it complete. But I’ve learned that it’s faster, and more effective, to take edits by largest to smallest: Developmental (plot, arcs, character motivations), details flushed out (scene setting, inner thought, etc.), then line edits. I do each step in its own editing draft, which means I never end up deleting paragraphs that I line edited because they don’t work with the plot anymore.
3. Subordinate Everything Else (Focus on Your Priority)
In the factory, non-bottleneck operations must support the bottleneck. In writing, this means making your main writing task the priority and letting other activities—research, promotion, or even social media—be secondary.
Sometimes this is so hard, because it can be fun to get those likes on social media. But at the end of the day, being a full time author means being a businessperson who produces a product regularly. You can’t release books if you’re spending too much time on marketing.
Actionable Tip: If finishing your manuscript is the most important thing, schedule writing time as your top priority. This could mean writing first thing in the morning or setting aside a couple of hours each evening to ensure it gets done, rather than letting less important tasks take over.
4. Elevate the Bottleneck (Improve and Overcome the Challenge)
Once you’ve identified and worked through the bottleneck, the next step is to elevate it. For example, in The Goal, Goldratt suggests adding more resources to a constrained area. As a writer, this might mean investing in tools or techniques that help you grow.
Actionable Tip: If your bottleneck is plot development, consider using writing prompts, exercises, or even writing workshops to strengthen this area. Sometimes, reading books on craft or attending writing seminars can help you find new solutions to challenges that have held you back.
If you find after struggling with your bottleneck that little is working, it might be time to bring in outside help. Editors, book coaches, critique partners, whoever is the right fit for your bottleneck to help free up some of your time and capacity to write more original work.
5. Repeat the Process (Constantly Improve)
The final lesson from The Goal is that improvement is a continuous cycle. Once you’ve overcome one bottleneck, there will inevitably be another one. Writing is no different; every time you finish a draft or a project, you’ll face new challenges.
Actionable Tip: After finishing each project, reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Did you struggle with dialogue, pacing, or character development? As you tackle your next piece, focus on those areas of improvement. Writing is a long-term process, and continuous learning is key.
Just as in manufacturing, where processes must be refined and improved, writing requires iterations. Goldratt teaches that systems improve over time, and writing is no exception. Your first draft doesn’t need to be perfect—it’s simply the first step toward a polished final product.
Remember, writing—like any process—benefits from structure, focus, and continuous learning. There’s no one who does repetitive, time consuming tasks better than a factory. Hopefully you’ll find these factory insights as helpful as I have.
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