NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is self imposed torture. You’ve got 30 days to create a 50,000 word novel. Write anything — Go.

The hardest part is the daily grind of consistent writing. It’s not about conjuring the best novel of all time.

NanoWriMo taught me that the secret to beating writer’s block is to simply keep writing. Especially when you aren’t inspired to.

It’s an idea straight out of Stephen King’s brilliant memoir On Writing.

Most of us picture inspiration as a flirt who comes and goes. We think inspiration strikes whenever it feels like and all we have to do is twiddle our thumbs in perfect alignment with the cosmic heavens and poof! INSPIRATION.

Stephen King argues that you have to be worthy of inspiration. How? Put in work. Start writing NOW. Don’t be quick to judge how horrible your writing is. Just keep writing. Allow your first draft to suck big donkey nuts.

“To write is human, to edit is divine.” — Stephen King

I used to dream about scoring home runs with every word. I’d spend hours agonizing over imperfect sentences. It was an obsession driven by the fear of making mistakes. I didn’t recognize that success is non-linear and that failure isn’t the end of the world.

Later on I realized that those so-called perfect sentences were pure wankery. They didn’t serve the piece at all. Those words were my dear babies — I loved them so much. The thought of editing them away made my stomach churn. William Faulkner bonked my head with pure brilliance.

“In writing, you must kill all your darlings.”

Write first.

Suspend judgement.

Edit later.

When you apply a get shit done approach to your writing you’ll soon realize that writer’s block is bullshit. It’s a fairy tale that helps us sleep better at night. One of the best ways to overcome a lack of inspiration is to keep creating. This technique is applicable in so many areas of our lives, from art to business to relationships.

Think of creativity in athletic terms. You’re not obliterating personal bests every training practice. Training hard might not even guarantee killing it in actual competition. Nonetheless, consistent training increases the probability of kicking ass when it matters most.

Alex Rodriguez says it best. “Enjoy your sweat because hard work doesn’t guarantee success but without it you don’t have a chance.”

Stop waiting for the perfect moment. Do it now.

I was terrified of writing NaNoWriMo and I had now clue how to start.

So I set self imposed goals and made them mantra. A lot of my writing sucked. I shut off my over-thinking brain and flexed those discipline muscles. Instead of worrying about whether my words would be good or bad I focused on execution. I focused on the process, not the outcome. I was motivated by an internal desire to finish something I started. At least 1600 words every day. Rain or shine, I was going to write those fucking words.

Something strange happened as I kept writing.

Don’t get me wrong. I was scared shitless every day. I still am — what if I have nothing more to write about? What if I just… what about WRITER’S BLOCK!?

Ceativity flowed like water when I focused on the process rather than the outcome. I wasn’t worried about imaginary futures. All I wanted was to overcome the hurdle of being unable to write. I did what needed to be done. 50,000 words was the vision. Finishing what I started was the desire. Perfection is poison. Good is good enough.

Try it yourself. Set meaningful goals and constraints corresponding to your overarching vision. Constantly remind yourself of your intrinsic drive and motivation — ask yourself WHY you’re doing what you’re doing. Have the integrity to stick to what you say you’d do. Build habits and be consistent. Remember that you’re human and some days you’ll fuck up. That’s okay. Don’t waste time feeling sorry for yourself. Get back to doing the good stuff. Practice daily.

Watch your creativity soar.