It’s easy to say write as much as you can, whenever you can.
Don’t go a day without writing, even if it’s for twenty minutes, ten minutes, five.
Write a novel, a poem, a blog post, journal.
Don’t plan too much or think too carefully about what you’re writing. Free write. Open your mind and see where it takes you. Just let the words flow. Don’t edit, just write.
But sometimes life gets in the way. Sometimes you’ve got other things to do. Sometimes your brain is just too damn tired.
Sometimes the thing we want to do the most is the thing we sacrifice.
Maybe it’s some great sense of self-sacrifice, of putting other people before ourselves. Maybe it’s just fear. Maybe we don’t want it as badly as we think.
Whatever the reason, when you haven’t written for a while, it’s easy not to write at all. What’s another day when it’s already been a week, a month, a year. There’s always tomorrow.
Writing doesn’t have to be some impossible goal, the dream of publishing that worldwide bestseller that everyone will read. Write for you, for now, for the way it lights you up inside and makes you feel alive.
Don’t write every day if it’s too much. But don’t go without so long that you forget. Don’t forget how good it feels to be true to yourself and your passions.
Just write, a little, and you’ll know.
You’ll know that you’re a writer.
rusty {rambles} says
I always enjoy what you right; so often spot on, this being a case in point! Have you tried ommwriter? I do like it for a bit of directionless writing – just typing without too much thinking or editing, and with less fear of the blank page!
Amy Lord says
Thanks for the comment, glad you can relate! No I haven’t tried that one, I might have to give it a go, sometimes it is nice just to write aimlessly without worrying too much about word count!
Anna says
I find that writing every day really takes discipline. I myself haven’t been doing it and I am ashamed to even call myself a writer. Lol. But you’re right: Take the time to write each day, even if it’s just five minutes. Pretty soon, those five minutes will stretch to ten to fifteen and so on. And I agree 100% to what you said: Don’t edit, just write. 🙂
Amy Lord says
I know exactly how you feel, Anna! But you’ll get there, don’t beat yourself up, it’s tough building a writing schedule that you can stick to.
Sara Strauss says
It’s been too long since I’ve written something, which is really sad. I’ve been meaning for months to get back to writing, but a doubt has seeped its way into my brain and I worry that I lost that thing that makes me a writer, even though I know that’s ridiculous. I’m nervous and excited to do NaNoWriMo because it’s forcing me to get back to writing! I want to do it and that’s at least a start!
~Sara
Amy Lord says
It’s hard to write after a long break and so easy to lose your confidence, especially when you don’t have any outside validation. But NaNoWriMo will be a fun way to get back into the routine! So good luck with it, Sara, and if you ever need a writing related chat, let me know! 🙂