My ongoing commitment to write every day in 2014
Writers write. Write every day. Advice that I frankly got sick of hearing. Generally, I can be really good at blowing off advice that I deem inapplicable to me. However, when those tiresome words would be bandied about, I would sigh heavily (probably roll my eyes at the person sitting next to me ) and think to myself , “Just because it works for you doesn’t mean it works for everyone. We are all unique; everyone doesn’t fit into a singular creative process.” These reoccurring insights in no way come from a place of superiority — I am well aware that my writing skills are a work in progress and that there are deep oceans of craft that I have yet to even dabble the very tips my toes into.
So one fateful day towards the end of 2013, someone unwitting soul at a workshop or lecture must have uttered those too often used words. I don’t remember the exact moment, but I realized that if I was going to hate on something, I should know what I hate about it. So I committed to writing every day in 2014, to prove myself right, that it was a bunch of bunk. After trying it out, I felt I would have license from my personal experience to express my distain for it. I had visions of mocking the very idea of it as I personally slayed the myth of writing every day. My name will be legend as the great debunker… you get the idea.
So now on day 356 of continuous writing, I wholeheartedly embrace and know that…It works. It really truly absolutely works.
What I have gained by writing every day this year:
- My writing has improved greatly.
- Writing comes more easily. Writers block has not darkened my door.
- I am more engaged and connected with the novel I am writing. I have had some wonderful story breakthroughs and awesome moments of surprise where my story and characters went to places I never thought they would.
- I have “completed” my novel first. It is done, but not finished. I’ve got some more drafts to go — but Dammit— I have written a novel from beginning to end and all the fun parts in-between.
This habit that at first was a pain to try and fit into my daily life now feels like a permanent and cherished fixture.
There are three things that I think are crucial for success in this endeavor:
- Carve out time in your already busy schedule. I work full time and during 2014 I was completing the last two quarters of a writing intensive. I brought my laptop to work and wrote during my lunch. All I needed was to find a couple of reliable hideouts where I could be left to my own imaginative devices. It may sound overwhelming to work during your break time, but I found that working in my made-up world was actually a nice break from the realities and stresses of my job.
- Allow yourself some flexibility. As the year progressed and my streak grew ever longer, it became a fun challenge to make sure my writing chain stayed unbroken. There were probably ten maybe twelve instances throughout the year where I “punched the clock,” in which I would open up my novel and write for a short bit. I blogged about this in an earlier post August when my mother was visiting. In that case I made a mad dash to get words in by midnight – and did. Other days I had a particularly hard day at work or had social obligations. But I still managed to get the needed words in.
- Allow for creative freedom and choice. Writing every day includes all aspects of writing. If you do not feel up to drafting a scene, do a free-write about a character or story element, do some research and imbed what you find into your story, edit previous drafts. Any and all of these things will move your story forward and keep your streak going.
I personally do not believe in New Year resolutions. To me they have become such an ongoing joke that people say them in the context of “you know this will only last for about ten days” and smile at each other knowingly. This was not a New Year resolution; it was a commitment by me that happened to begin on New Year ’s Day. It is a distinction that pleases me. New Year is one of my favorite holidays. It is a wonderful time to reflect on our past and gaze forward and contemplate future growth. It is a perfect time to try something new, like trying to debunk a hoary old writing cliché.
Give it whirl in the coming year. What do you have to lose?
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