Writing Practice — Is It Really Necessary?
If you’ve ever been apprehensive as to whether you need a daily writing routine, it’s time to let it go. Every writer that has ever been published will give you the same piece of advice: if you want to build up your writing muscles, they need to be stretched on a daily basis.
There’s a famous author that says you should write daily with a predetermined word count. Of course, it may not be 3,000 words, but everyone needs to start somewhere.
Another author recommends you start your routine by writing for fifteen minutes a day. This doesn’t include the time spent staring at a blank screen for fifteen minutes. And it doesn’t include rewriting the first sentence you wrote down for the fifteenth time. You have to be making a legitimate effort to write, whether it’s freewriting or starting a novel.
Whether you’re aiming for a particular word count or writing within a certain time limit, you need to come up with a strategy that best suits you. Keep in mind, it doesn’t matter which method you select as long as you are using it.
Develop the Habit of Writing Every Day
As writers, we know that the common advice is to “just sit down and write.” However, this is easier said than done. It can definitely be a challenge to develop a habit of writing every day. Often we struggle to find the time to write creatively because other things get in the way. This can include full-time jobs, unpredictable schedules, and families.
The first thing to do is acknowledge the energy constraints and time you have during each day. Then, do your best to work within those constraints by training yourself to write. Strategies such as creative rituals, eliminating all distractions, and freewriting can help you accomplish this.
Make Tomorrow’s First Step Easy
Starting to write each day can be difficult, but you can accomplish this with preparation near the end of each day.
One strategy is to stop writing mid sentence at the end of every day. By doing this, you won’t have to waste time trying to figure out where you’ll start the next day. All you’re doing is simply picking up where you left off.
You can even take this a step further by taking the last sentence that you wrote and copying it into a separate document at the end of each day. This sentence can be used to write out a brief outline or a few possible directions for tomorrow’s writing.
The next day, pick up where you left off using only that new document. This way it eliminates the distraction of editing the work you did the previous day. You’ll only be focused on the work you’re doing today.
Utilize a Distraction-Free Writing Environment
There are a number of tools available on the internet that provide a distraction-free writing environment. Some of the best are:
- Write Room (Mac/Ios, Mac $24.99/Ios $4.99)
- Ommwriter (Mac, Basic: Free, Premium: Donationware)
- FocusWriter (Mac/Windows, Free)
- WriteMonkey (Windows, Free)
- Q10 (Windows, Free)
The use of a distraction-free writing environment can help you become a more productive writer. The key is to focus, even though distractions seem to be everywhere.
Summing it All Up…
It’s very easy to get into the rut of making excuses not to write. You can say it’s too late, you don’t feel like it, or deny that you ever wanted to start writing. The goal is to get rid of all of those excuses and put pen to paper, or fingers on the keyboard.
There’s no single strategy that helps all writers write every day. See what works best for you by trying different ones out.
Have you made writing part of your daily routine? How do you maintain the habit?
An original version of this article has appeared on pentothepage.com
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