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Why Producing Like a Machine Doesn’t Always Lead to Excellence

You shouldn’t force yourself to remain stuck in that stage forever

Lark Morrigan
Assemblage

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Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash

“If you want to get anywhere, write like a machine.”

I’ve heard this ad nauseam for the past four years. Not in those exact words, but in some form or fashion. Even though other writers promote this for money, I saw the benefits of writing consistently that had nothing to do with building a huge audience or quitting your day job:

  1. You get more stuff done with structure and a regular routine. Suppose you are working on a novel. Most people don’t finish their novels because they don’t work on it consistently and it’s harder to overcome resistance the longer they procrastinate.
  2. While writing for the audience’s approval isn’t my aim (in fact, for those of you who know me, I don’t want to sell out to people who don’t like me for who I am, and I’ve been quite stubborn about not writing in the most popular niches), you do get noticed if you show up more often and post every week. I’ve never gone for more than two weeks without posting.
  3. You do gain a boost of confidence when you finish what you start (if you never finish anything, you won’t feel confident), and you learn that there are people out there who will love your work, even…

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