Why You’re Not Writing Every Day
Why You’re Not Writing Every Day
And how you can
The Story Writer’s Path
And how you can
You’re a writer. And a writer writes. Regularly. Serious writers write every day.
You know this. You embrace the idea. But you’re not doing it, are you? You have the best of intentions, but somehow it just doesn’t happen. A day goes by without putting words on the page. And then another. Oops, another.
At this rate, you’re lucky if you write once a week. But really, what does it matter?
Put a group of writers together in a bar and throw out the question of how often one should write and most of them will say daily. (There will always be a naysayer or two who disagree. Because: writers.)
Successful writers have learned that their success comes from writing every day. Stephen King writes every day, aiming for 2,000 words. So did Ernest Hemingway — his goal was 500 words. And the Welsh novelist Sarah Waters aims for 1,000 daily words.
And I’m one of the writers who thinks you should write every day — or as close to that as possible. Maybe you can’t write a lot, but you can write something. And something is better than nothing. Something counts.
Why you should
So let me see if I can convince you that writing daily is a worthy goal.
A bird in the hand….
Once you get words on the page, they are then there for you to revise.
“My minimum is 1,000 words a day… Those 1,000 words might well be rubbish- they often are. But then, it is always easier to return to rubbish words at a later date and make them better.” So said the afore-mentioned Sarah Waters in a Guardian article.
Something on the page is better than nothing. And you get something on the page by sitting down to it every day.
Ease and flow
The more you write, the easier it gets. It’s like exercise, or meditation, or any good-for-you (and, sadly, not-good-for-you) habit. Working at it regularly gives you a facility and ease with it that won’t happen if you pick up pen only once in a while.
Years ago, I worked in a women’s gym and a patron who only attended sporadically asked me how to establish a regular exercise routine. I told her that once you started doing it regularly you get to the point where it feels better to do it than not.
The same is true with writing. It’s easier to get yourself to the page and it’s easier for the words to flow once you’re there. And flowing words lead to…
Momentum
The big M. When you are writing on a project regularly, you begin to achieve momentum, and it is a wonderful thing.
Plot lines cohere. Characters reveal themselves to you. Secrets are uncovered. Word counts accrue.
When you start to get momentum on your story, it takes over your life in marvelous ways. You finish your writing session and ideas continue to come. You have to stop to dry your hands while you’re doing dishes because you need to grab your phone and make notes about the next scene. That pesky plot problem suddenly unwinds itself.
And writing becomes, dare I say it, easier.
You’ll get more ideas
When you’re writing every day, your brain becomes an idea-producing machine. Really, it is all the time. But committing to a regular work schedule gives it fuel to burn.
The brain loves having something to do that is more complicated than scrolling through your Facebook feed. It loves pondering word choices, and plot points and character motivation. Feed it daily and it will reward you with more ideas than you know what to do with.
It tames imperfection
Perfectionism is the bane of many a writer’s existence. Nothing is more painful than agonizing over every word. (Okay, having a tooth pulled is. But we get painkiller for that.)
But when you write every day, you get used to throwing words on the page. Words. They don’t have to be good words. They just have to be words. (And really, are there any bad words? It’s all relative, right?)
It can change your life
For real, it can. We are natural born creators. If you’re pulled to creating — and if you’re reading this article, you are — the cost of not creating is huge. It takes an enormous amount of energy to squelch the creative spark. Dampening it can lead to all manner of bad habits.
But letting your creativity run rampant changes everything. Suddenly those bad habits aren’t quite so appealing any more — but getting up early to write looks good instead. Suddenly that person you’re marking time with, the one who sneers at your creative ideas, is no longer worth hanging around with. Suddenly you feel free and alive. And capable of anything.
Of such moments world-changing ideas are born.
Why you’re not
So if writing every day is so valuable, why aren’t you doing it? In years of working with writers as a coach and teacher, I’ve seen the most common reasons why not.
You don’t have time
News flash — nobody has time. I don’t, you don’t, your neighbor doesn’t, your boss doesn’t. But we make time for what is truly important for us. If you’re in love with the cute guy who always takes lunch at the same hour, you make time to head out the door at the same time. Right?
Being busy has become a badge of honor these days. “How are you?” we ask each other. The answer is invariably (said with a sigh), “Busy. I’m busy.” And we are. The press of activities and duties is crazier than ever. We’re hamsters running on a wheel that is hard to jump off from.
You don’t know what to write
Do you know what you want to write?
Do you want to write a best-selling novel that will entertain thousands of people the world over? (And no, that’s not a trivial why. The world needs all the entertainment it can get right now.) Do you want to write a memoir that will help you to understand the crazy, mixed-up life you’ve led — and assist others to grasp their lives as well? Do you want to write a series of articles that will inform and educate?
All of these are wonderful legitimate goals, no one better than another. But if you’re pushing journalistic articles when inside you beats the heart of a novelist, you may find it difficult to get yourself to the page every day. And vice-versa.
Figuring out — and committing to — the thing you truly want to write can make all the difference in your journey to a consistent writing practice.
You don’t know your why
Goal-setting experts will tell you that knowing your why reinforces your chances of achieving your goal. It gives you a reason to move forward with your writing plans and that can bolster you when your significant other says “Oh honey, don’t go write, come watch a movie with me.” Or when all you really want to do is eat a tub of ice cream and read a book. Or when the alarm goes off at six and your bed is so nice and warm and cozy.
You may have multiple whys. So much the better.
Here are some potential hypothetical whys:
Because you want to expose the terrible wrongs that have been wrought upon you in a series of articles.
Because you want to figure out that enticing family secret.
Because you want to make buckets of money. (Okay, unlikely and you might want to try day trading instead, but any why will work.)
Because you have a story burning inside you that feels like it will make you explode if it doesn’t come out.
Because…..whatever your why might be.
You don’t know how to write
It’s easy to look at best-selling writers who churn out novel after novel and think they were born with some innate talent that enables them to do this. I’ll let you in on a little secret: they had to figure it out, too.
Nobody is born knowing how to plot a story or make a character come alive on the page. Those skills come from practice. And practice comes from writing, any thing, in any genre, whenever and wherever you can.
You get distracted
Who doesn’t? Our current world is full of distractions, more than ever. Our smartphones are at our fingertips, by our sides every minute of the day and night, lighting up with news flashes, notifications, messages and more. And many of us live with other humans who like to grab our attention as well. And don’t get me started on books, TV, and movies.
You think you have to be perfect
Perfection is the enemy of a sustained, regular writing practice. Worrying over every word, every sentence and every paragraph is no fun. And if you’re not enjoying yourself, why write?
You’re afraid
And drum roll, please…the number one reason people don’t write every day is because they are afraid. Afraid that they are not good enough. Afraid of revealing themselves. Afraid that they will be judged. Afraid of being seen. Afraid of….you fill in your own brand of fear.
How you can
What follows are my rebuttals to the above reasons (excuses?) for why you’re not writing every day.
Discover your why
One of the most valuable writing exercises a teacher ever gave me came in a weekly critique group I was a member of for years. We were good producers of work, but once in a while we’d hit and snag and submissions lagged. In order to get us going again, our teacher gave us an assignment:
If you could write about anything in the world, in any form, what would it be? Set a timer and write for 20 minutes on that.
You may just uncover the outline of a novel. Or the idea for a short story. Or the topic and tons of content for a unique lifestyle blog.
Writing Prompts Aren’t Just for Beginners
How to use them and why you shouldwritingcooperative.com
Find time
It’s vitally important for your sanity to make time to write. My best advice is to start small. Like teeny, tiny small. Commit to five minutes. I’ve know people who have committed to writing one sentence a day — and from that birthed a regular writing practice.
And, honestly? If you are consistently not making time to write regularly, maybe it is time to reassess. Maybe you don’t really want to be a writer. Maybe, as Dorothy Parker famously said, you hate writing, but you love having written.
And that’s okay. It’s okay to admit that writing isn’t for you after all and pour your creative energies into something else. Please do find something that you truly love and do it, though.
Learn to focus
But just as we’ve invented all manner of lovely distractions, so too have we invented ways to deal with them. Get yourself a good set of earphones and listen to the silence. Or find a Youtube channel you enjoy. Or grab an app that uses brainwave entrainment to help you focus. At the very least, the music will block out the noise.
And — learn to say no. To your spouse, to your friends, to your kids and your grandkids (okay that last one is tough). Sometimes you’re going to have to make choices about how to spend your time if you really want to write.
Embrace imperfection
One of the best ways to get over perfectionism is to write fast. Don’t give your internal editor time to rear its critical head. Write without stopping to edit, to tinker or to change words or grammar or spelling. There’s time for fixing that later. This practice not only allows you to get words on the page, but it trains you to embrace imperfection.
Imperfection, my friends, is why we invented the computer. There’s this thing called the delete key. And you can use it liberally.
Figure out what to write
Stumped about your subject matter? Try free writing, mind mapping, making lists, taking notes. Begin a practice of regular observation. Take your journal or laptop to the coffee shop and watch the people around you. Note what snippets of dialogue you hear, write down what people are wearing, eating, and drinking. Watch how people interact with each other and record the expressions on their faces. Take notes on books you’ve read, or shows you’ve watched or articles you’ve read. Be a sponge for ideas. Eventually your notes will coalesce into a project that excites you.
Learn how to write
The internet abounds with articles on writing, many wonderful ones right here on the Writing Cooperative. You could pave the streets of the small town in France where I’m staying with the pages from books written about writing readily available on Amazon and other outlets. And, of course writing classes are abundantly available as well — many online and many in person. Community colleges offer adult education for a low cost. It’s also easy to find a writing coach should you decide to go that route.
Feel the fear and do it anyway
Truly, the best way out is through. It’s also the only way out. The longer you avoid writing, the harder it will be to get back to it. Yet another reason why writing every day works so well.
And I will submit, we know more about psychology and ways to get through fear than ever before. Meditating regularly helps. So does yoga, walking, and any form of exercise you enjoy. You can also try some of the myriad energy modalities readily available, such as EFT (emotional freedom technique, or tapping), hypnotherapy, or acupuncture, to name only a few.
Also, always remember that your work is yours. You can be as protective of it as you want for as long as you want. It’s on your computer or in your notebook and nobody has to see it until you are ready to show it to them. Password protect your file or find a locked drawer for your journal if you must. But remember, you writing is your own. For your eyes only — until you say otherwise.
And, here’s one final thought on why you should write every day:
It’s a creative act and creative acts are good for you — and the world. In a time when it seems the world has gone mad, taking time to create every day is a radical act.
It’s saying to the world that you matter. The world matters. Creating a new world that is slightly less mad matters.
Because that’s what we’re doing every time we pick up a pen, or set fingers to the keyboard. Creating anew. Creating a new world.
And right now, we need that more than anything.