We consistently hear the adage that true writers always write. And if you don’t, well, then…
Don’t fret. Stay on it.
Previously, a day gone without writing weakened me. I had a hard time getting back in the seat to start the train moving again. Sometimes a couple of days would pass, maybe a week, dare I admit, maybe even more. So to fight the inertia, I started to view “writing all the time” differently. I told myself writing could consist of a mixture of types:
- a note to FedEx to leave the box,
- an email to a seller to explain why I’m demanding my money back,
- a letter to an old friend who may just toss it out without reading it,
- a blog post I continually edit even after publishing it,
- an attempt at a haiku,
- a note to Bruno’s teacher revealing my fear that he is already a better writer than I am (more on this some other time),
- the dinner menu for the week (doesn’t prevent burning unfortunately),
- a carefully worded note to a neighbor about the dog,
- the jotting down of conversations I’ve overheard at the bar,
- a scene for a screenplay sparked by an event that JUST happened,
- a love poem to see if I still have rhyming skills,
- a proposal to the city to add more signs in the neighborhood,
- a random fragment of thought on an electronic device I keep testing but fail to purchase because I know I don’t need it.
When I add up all those little options, it’s easier on my head. I haven’t failed the rule. I’ve done away with writer’s block. My writing world continues to spin.
If you’re now questioning, “But this isn’t focused writing. You’re writing everything but your book,” then I think you’re missing my point.
Let’s assume you’ve hit a problem which has caused you to stop writing. Even if you’re not working on your book, you’re probably thinking about it (if your not thinking about it, it probably isn’t worth writing.) Nothing’s lost. If you can’t get back in just yet, move on to a different writing. Let that editing-monkey throw poo at something else for a change. By continuing the act of writing, you give yourself a break from being knee-high, and you continue your consistent stream of practicing your craft. No one gets better by doing nothing (consistently). And within this, I believe a higher more important goal is reached: the excavation of your writing voice.
But I could be wrong. So tell me.
