Write Every Day?!
“Excuse me? You want me to what exactly? Write every day?”
“You can’t be serious.”
Well, the thing about the act of writing every day is that people are serious when they say they are doing it and/or you should do it.
How do you write every day? How is that possible?
Try looking at things in a broader scope. If you’re reading this, it’s almost 100% likely you write every day and just don’t realize it. I think people get caught up with the idea of forcing yourself to sit down and spit out however many words at one time. I can tell you from personal feelings that the idea is quite intimidating. I hate being forced to do anything so I’m very unlikely to force myself to do something even if I know it’s good for me. (So much for eating all of my steamed carrots, huh? ;))
Remember that writing is writing is writing. Whether doing a blog entry, freewriting in your notebook, or writing a letter/email, it’s still writing. The important part is to acknowledge how much you are currently writing and make a goal to make it more. Whether or not that’s making your blog entry longer or actually sitting down to write in your notebook when you didn’t before is up to you.
Key in on the fact that you likely do take time out of your day, every day, to write. Include the three seconds it takes to sign a check if you like. It all adds up.
Don’t feel bad if you can’t keep up to the person who sits down and writes three hours every day. A lot of us either don’t have the time or simply can’t write for three hours non-stop. You know how much spare time you have and whether or not you only have time to add on to your blog entry length or if you can start taking five minutes each morning to free write.
Find something that’s comfortable for you, do it three weeks (about the time it takes to establish or break a habit), and then begin to challenge yourself by adding on a few more minutes/words. It’s a process, a dedication, and a job. Take it easy on yourself and take your time. Overdoing it will be counteractive and likely put you off from writing.
writing, fiction writing, motivation, word count goal, daily writing
December 16th, 2006 at 6:38 pm
As a college student, I have both too much free time and no free time at all, depending on how conscientious a student I decide I want to be.
I tend to write in binges (makes it sound like a disease…lol). I’ll go without writing for months and then write 10 hours a day for a week or two.
Nuts, I tell you.
December 16th, 2006 at 6:47 pm
I know how that goes as a college student. Writing binges (hey! no hangover!) were often the way to get any substantial amount of writing done.
The only time I go months without writing is in regards to poetry, but I’m trying to get back into that. Otherwise I at least try to blog in my personal blog every couple of days if I’m not writing otherwise.
Go blogging!
December 16th, 2006 at 7:12 pm
I have to write every day. Blogs are handy that way.
December 16th, 2006 at 7:34 pm
You said it.