by Phoebe Quinn
My Twitter timeline is awash with urging. Write every day. Even if it’s for ten minutes. Just write. Write well and often. And so on.
But, should you really be writing every day?
Getting the balance right between craft, routine, and chore is hard. We all struggle. As much as I dream of being a full-time writer, it’s more likely I will have to continue juggling it round work, socialising, and other (neglected) hobbies.
But I suck at committing to something once a day. I limped part way through one of those one-line-a-day journals–two, actually, because clearly I enjoy seeing myself fail–and tried, really tried to think of something each day to put. I would always have a day where I forgot or was too tired or was out, and once I missed a day it felt like–well, what’s the point now? May as well give up. My bullet journal has lain neglected for several weeks now, because it required my attention every day. Sometimes I pass out from exhaustion before I’ve even brushed my teeth, so I can’t even keep that up.
And, no, I don’t open up my Google Drive every night without fail, with that expectant marker blink-blink-blinking away where I last left off.
I probably should. The most common analogy is that writing is a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger it gets. I’ve no doubt that’s true. But some of my best work has been done after days, maybe weeks, of drought or absence. Some of my worst was when I set myself a daily 1000 word-count goal (2000 at weekends); don’t even get me started on my abysmal NaNoWriMo efforts.
An everyday habit is overwhelming, and until I move and get a better job I just don’t have the time or energy to spare some evenings. I tried getting up earlier in the mornings, but all that’s done is highlight that I am a classic night owl while Boyfriend happens to be a lark. He springs out of bed at 6am and gets to work almost straight away. I starfish, face down on the pillows, until the last possible moment. It’s not that I won’t drag myself up, it’s that I physically can’t. (I’ve tried just about everything but if you have any tips I’m all ears.)
However…
When I’m not writing, I am thinking about it. Plotting out new stories, thinking of changes to my current draft, listening out for tidbits I can use later on. Maybe I’m planning a blog post or listening to a storytelling podcast. (Does buying new notebooks count?)
Which means I approach the keyboard with a little more purpose, a smidgen more excitement. The balance between craft, routine, and chore for me, personally, leans heavily in favour of craft. There’s not much structure to it, and I don’t feel downtrodden when I open up my work in progress. But when I am able to sit down to it–when the stars align and the world hasn’t been as soul-suckingly horrendous as before–it’s a pleasure. I don’t get to do it as often as I would maybe like or certainly should, but when I do it’s a treat.
Perhaps my ego is a wildly huge yet fragile thing, but sometimes it can be demoralising when I know other writers are able to go at it more often than I can. Not because I begrudge them any time, success, or drive they may have, but because it means I am lacking. I know I am capable of writing – not only that, but writing well – and the impotent rage from trying and failing to squeeze it in is beyond frustrating.
Now, though, I am thinking of it as more like a theatre production. The behind-the-scenes work takes up the most time: set design, learning the lines, blocking the scenes, testing the lighting. The rehearsals–gradually structuring your story and joining the dots, the terrible first drafts and edits we all loathe–are bitty, frequent things, repetitive but necessary components. The final production–finished drafts, the final edits–is a singular, spectacular goal, a culmination of everything else involved.
It’s a month today that I move, trading the city I have called home for five years for financial stability and being closer to my family. So at the moment, I’m doing a lot of work behind the curtain. Rehearsals have been placed on hold recently but are due to start again in earnest. All I need now is Freddie Mercury bursting into the room and singing The Show Must Go On. What could be more motivating than that?
If you are struggling to write every day, know that you’re not alone. It’s definitely worth aspiring to. But when things get in the way or you just can’t face it–that’s fine too, and you’re not any less of a writer for it. When you stop writing altogether, that’s when you stop being a writer.
Guest post contributed by Phoebe Quinn. Phoebe is a writer of fiction with a collection of short stories released in 2016.
Couldn’t agree more! Days and even weeks can go by when I never make it to my WIP. Life gets in the way or, horror of horrors, I just want to veg out with Netflix. And it’s all good because writing when the ideas come, when the need to write makes my fingers itch, works out better for me 🙂
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Struggling at the moment to do any writing. Good post!
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Reblogged this on Kim's Musings.
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Yes! The only writing rule I follow: Don’t follow any writing rules.
Even the one that says, “Just write.”
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There has to be balance. I have 9 blogs, but I write on one daily. Smile. I catch the others up maybe every three weeks. They haven’t progressed as far as the one I write on daily. Time is of essence. You have to take a break, and see if the writings are standing, hanging in there or not. Has the blog grown? What makes it grow? For my blog, pictures that I draw help. It makes people laugh, and they like what I have said.
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I come by your blog enough to recognize your name. Keep writing as much as you will.
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Wow. Great post! This is totally true. Also, writing daily might help us to write better but it actually takes away the essence. Thank you so much for sharing this.
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Writing everyday sometimes can be overwhelming. Especially when you have to juggle so many things a a time.
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Really enjoyed reading your post. Trying to write everyday becomes a chore o agree, it is finding that balance thank you for sharing
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Oh, dear. I may have been one of those Twits who toted this phrase, “write every day.” Eeks.
I actually agree with you on so much of what you wrote here in this post. I suck at doing things every day, too.
I think what I took from the phrase wasn’t so much that I HAD to write every day (because I don’t), but that if I can, I should write even if I don’t feel particularly inspired. I think it just kind of changed my thinking around when I should write and how I should feel about writing.
I love your honesty. 🙂 Great post!
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I love to write. I’ve pursued Nanowrimo and won. But the results were months and months of slogging through edits. Horrible mess, writing quickly (for me). I decided a while back to write daily but I have no set amount of how much. And I take 15 minutes to draw daily too. Sometimes the results are hysterical. Some times I even stop before 15 minutes (gasp). Right now I’m doing a non-dominant hand drawing challenge all because I read an article that you need to work the right brain too. It is fun and I enjoy it, but I’ve missed a few days here and there. I keep my sketch pad handy, my journals close. And I never leave the house without my trusty notepad for, you guessed it, notes. I back up everything a couple of times a month. And I keep progressing. That’s my goal.
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Nice, makes me feel better, post. Sounds like you are on the right track with your approach.
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I can totally relate to this. Thank you for writing it during your limited time. 🖖💜
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I can relate to every single word of this post. Felt better.
I wish i was more consistent with my write-ups.
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Thank you for inspiring. Writing everyday requires effort.. It is difficult but really worth it
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