Reader question: How do you stay dedicated to your writing? Do you force yourself to write every day? Do you have a writing schedule?
Okay, don’t throw stones at me, but I’ve never had to force myself to write. In fact, I find the opposite to be true; I usually have to force myself to stop writing.
This is not to say that the words always come easily. They don’t. I experience the same frustrations and challenges that every other writer faces. But because I love writing, it never feels like a chore that I have to force upon myself.
I do have a writing schedule that I try to stick to, but it’s flexible because, let’s face it, creativity can be an elusive bugger. I generally write first thing in the morning, since that’s when my brain is at its sharpest. (The coffee also helps). When my mind feels numb and the ideas dry up, I stop. Some writing sessions might only last an hour. Others might last ten. For me, having the freedom to stop is important because I’d rather write 100 inspired words than 1,000 that are forced and will end up being deleted.
Of course, there are days when I’m not feeling creative at all. On those days, I give myself space. If I end up at my computer, great. If I don’t, well, there’s always tomorrow.
How do you stay dedicated to your writing?
I haven’t been that dedicated lately, unfortunately. The ideas are there, but the time is not. I work multiple jobs (both a pro & con of freelancing) and that sometimes means my own work falls by the wayside. I am hoping things are starting to mellow out a little and I can start dedicating an hour per day to my own stuff. It might be forced at first, but if I can stick with it, it will become a habit. If I get more than an hour, great, but if not, at least I know I’ve made an hour’s progress on something.
Brianna, you’ll be surprised how quickly those hours add up! I know it can be frustrating to squeeze writing into an already jam-packed schedule, but sometimes I find that I am a more productive writer when time is scarce.
What about you? Do you have a writing schedule you follow on a daily basis? How do you stay motivated to write consistently every day? What advice worked best for you when you started to incorporate writing into your daily schedule?
Good questions, Steve. Personally, my best writing time is in the mornings because my brain is well-rested and my ideas are fresh. I try to block out at least four hours every morning to write. There are days that I’ll work straight through lunch and well into the afternoon; other days I peter out after lunch. I give myself the freedom to stop when the writing becomes forced or sloppy.
The best advice that I heard when I started out was: write everyday. It’s pretty simple but if you follow it, your writing will improve by leaps and bounds…not to mention the huge dent you’ll put in your manuscript.