Why can't I write everyday? Can you do it?

Lillith1991 · Apr 15, 2015

gettingby said:
I don't blog. It's never really been something I wanted to do. And I don't want to write just for the sake of writing. If I don't write every day, I actually write more than if I were to set low word-count goals. I really can't get into something if I am just writing 100 words here and 100 words there even if I am doing it every day. When not trying to write every day, I usually produce between 2k and 5k words per writing session, but it's just not something I can keep up with doing on a daily basis. I wish that were not the case. I just can't be brilliant or anything close to it on demand. LOL. Thanks for you comment and trying to help, though. I hope hope you reach your goals and that your new writing schedule works for you.

Thank you for the well wishes, but there's a reason for my or something. I find that switching between Non-fiction like journaling, blogging etc. and fiction engages a different part of my brain. Before I blogged, I kept a journal. You're essentially writing your own truth, your experiences when you journal. You're recalling facts instead of making something up as in fiction.

Putputt · Apr 15, 2015

I write/edit everyday, including weekends, when I'm working on a specific book, just because the book is going, "Write me! Write meeeee!" But in between books I take time off to recharge and I may or may not do a bit of writing here and there. It doesn't bother me that I'm not writing, but it is annoying when I do start writing again after a break because the words take a longer time before they start flowing.

Toothpaste · Apr 15, 2015

I think the important thing for us writers to keep in mind is that whatever advice is out there, whatever tools are offered, we have to decide for ourselves what works best. I understand where the write every day philosophy comes from. It exists to counter the notion that one can only write when inspired which is an attitude many new writers initially have when they come into the profession. But as we all know, very few authors write only when they are inspired, we have to sit down and just start writing no matter how difficult it is. For most of us that's the only way to get the job done. So suggesting authors write every day helps train writers to write even if they don't want to, and shows them that it is indeed possible.

But.

Once you've learned that lesson. . .

Some of us don't write everyday. I don't. I discovered I didn't like it, that I wasn't particularly more productive, and that it actually added a great deal of stress to an already very stressful career. Now. Do I still make myself write? Of course I do. But I have my own methods, my own tools that work for me. If you have discovered that after giving it the good ol' college try that you just don't find it useful to write every day, don't.

In general, gettingby, I would suggest you stop being so concerned about what makes you a "real" writer, stop comparing yourself to others, and just do you. You know what works. You've written for a long time now. Whatever is most effective for you is most effective for you. And that's just dandy. However, I also caution you not to judge others who do the opposite as you do, who find such tools useful. Sometimes I get the impression from your posts that there's almost a pride in that you "aren't like other writers" (kind of like that "not like other girls" we women have to contend with). A sense of superiority perhaps. I get it. I went through a period like that myself. It's a way to have an identity and to not get too worried one isn't doing the author thing "correctly". Part defence mechanism, part hubris. At least, it was for me.

However at this point in my life I have no time to judge others, and I am working my butt off not to judge myself. I'm just doing what works for me and offering suggestions that others can take or leave. Be kind to yourself, gettingby. And be kind to others

.

gettingby · Apr 15, 2015

Toothpaste said:
I think the important thing for us writers to keep in mind is that whatever advice is out there, whatever tools are offered, we have to decide for ourselves what works best. I understand where the write every day philosophy comes from. It exists to counter the notion that one can only write when inspired which is an attitude many new writers initially have when they come into the profession. But as we all know, very few authors write only when they are inspired, we have to sit down and just start writing no matter how difficult it is. For most of us that's the only way to get the job done. So suggesting authors write every day helps train writers to write even if they don't want to, and shows them that it is indeed possible.

But.

Once you've learned that lesson. . .

Some of us don't write everyday. I don't. I discovered I didn't like it, that I wasn't particularly more productive, and that it actually added a great deal of stress to an already very stressful career. Now. Do I still make myself write? Of course I do. But I have my own methods, my own tools that work for me. If you have discovered that after giving it the good ol' college try that you just don't find it useful to write every day, don't.

In general, gettingby, I would suggest you stop being so concerned about what makes you a "real" writer, stop comparing yourself to others, and just do you. You know what works. You've written for a long time now. Whatever is most effective for you is most effective for you. And that's just dandy. However, I also caution you not to judge others who do the opposite as you do, who find such tools useful. Sometimes I get the impression from your posts that there's almost a pride in that you "aren't like other writers" (kind of like that "not like other girls" we women have to contend with). A sense of superiority perhaps. I get it. I went through a period like that myself. It's a way to have an identity and to not get too worried one isn't doing the author thing "correctly". Part defence mechanism, part hubris. At least, it was for me.

However at this point in my life I have no time to judge others, and I am working my butt off not to judge myself. I'm just doing what works for me and offering suggestions that others can take or leave. Be kind to yourself, gettingby. And be kind to others .

I'm really not trying to judge others or upset anyone. I do not have a sense of "superiority" at all. In fact, quite the opposite is true. I have been trying really hard to publish fiction for the last few years with very little luck. Trust me, I don't think I am better than other people or that I know what I'm doing more than anyone else does. I'm sorry that you feel this way about me. I actually feel quite bad right now.

Toothpaste · Apr 15, 2015

I'm sorry, gettingby, now I feel quite bad right now too. You'll notice that my speculation was a tiny part of the greater message which was to be kind to yourself and to others. You'll also note I said that I had been the kind of person who compensated for not feeling like a "real" writer by thinking my way was the better way and had to learn to not be like that. I said I was flawed, that I had had hubris, that I had had fear. And that I was seeing a similar pattern in you. So the fact that you would assume I was thinking ill of you, instead of relating, is not good and clearly a lack of communication on my part.

Clearly this is not the case for you. And I am sorry for making an incorrect assumption. Clearly for you this is a sincere fear that you aren't doing something right. And to that I say re-read what I wrote and ignore the bit about the hubris. Here, I'll do it for you

:

I think the important thing for us writers to keep in mind is that whatever advice is out there, whatever tools are offered, we have to decide for ourselves what works best. I understand where the write every day philosophy comes from. It exists to counter the notion that one can only write when inspired which is an attitude many new writers initially have when they come into the profession. But as we all know, very few authors write only when they are inspired, we have to sit down and just start writing no matter how difficult it is. For most of us that's the only way to get the job done. So suggesting authors write every day helps train writers to write even if they don't want to, and shows them that it is indeed possible.

But.

Once you've learned that lesson. . .

Some of us don't write everyday. I don't. I discovered I didn't like it, that I wasn't particularly more productive, and that it actually added a great deal of stress to an already very stressful career. Now. Do I still make myself write? Of course I do. But I have my own methods, my own tools that work for me. If you have discovered that after giving it the good ol' college try that you just don't find it useful to write every day, don't.

In general, gettingby, I would suggest you stop being so concerned about what makes you a "real" writer, stop comparing yourself to others, and just do you. You know what works. You've written for a long time now. Whatever is most effective for you is most effective for you. And that's just dandy.

Be kind to yourself, gettingby. And be kind to others .

Layla Nahar · Apr 15, 2015

Toothpaste said:
Some of us don't write everyday. I don't. I discovered I didn't like it, that I wasn't particularly more productive,

Hi Toothpaste,
I write 5 or 6 days a week. I'm always interested in hearing how other people approach things in case there's something I can learn from it. I'm curious, if you're willing to share, what kind of writing schedule you keep.

Toothpaste · Apr 15, 2015

Well . . . I don't really have any kind of schedule. What I discovered was I had to be kind to myself if I just wasn't up to writing one day. And I also discovered that choosing a specific time to write just didn't work for me either. So first of all when I do write I choose a wordcount to hit as opposed to an amount of time at a specific time. That works best for me. Then when it comes to how often to write . . . that also comes down to a wordcount thing. It's a cumulative thing. I figure out how many words I need to get done by the end of the month or week, say, and however I hit those words, in how many days I hit those words, that's how I do it.

So there's flexibility. But then you also have to pay the piper as it were. So if I take three days off in a row, then, well, a couple 5k word days will follow. This certainly does not work for everyone, but it does for me

.

Layla Nahar · Apr 15, 2015

Thanks. I would certainly like to be able to be both productive and flexible with my schedule. But before that I'll have to be able to write more in one day. One step at time

jjdebenedictis · Apr 15, 2015

I can only write every day if I brainstorm every day and do that first.

I need to know what's supposed to go on the page before I can make any headway. I am just not a pantser. So my advice would be to try increasing your planning time and let the word count fall where it may. You may find that naturally increases your output without increasing your frustration levels.

Another thing to think about is that if you write 250 words (one page) six days a week, then in one year, you'll have a book. But if you write 1,500 words (about one scene) every Saturday, then in one year, you'll still have a book.

RN Hill · Apr 15, 2015

I only write every day if I have something to write about. Otherwise, it's just something I'm 'supposed' to do -- and it's all rubbish. I know people say "write it anyway, you can revise it later" - but there's revision, and then there's throwing away x number of words because they're completely useless dribbles of cold pudding.

My writing tends to come in sprints: this time last year I was in the middle of the first draft of a new novel, which took me eight weeks to complete. I was writing pretty much every day at that point. During NaNo two years ago, I was writing every day and it was fantastic. But I've learned that if I'm not feeling it, I shouldn't do it. Writing is like anything else in life: sometimes we need a break from it. The brain cells have to recharge. I'll pick up another project, or do research, or just let my mind mull over the story and where I want it to go. When I'm ready, I'll start again. But I never push it.

rwm4768 · Apr 15, 2015

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who struggles to write every day. When I'm in the middle of a project, I often do write every day, but when I'm between projects, I focus my efforts on revision, and I try to catch up on my reading.

I do write when I'm not feeling inspired, as the act of writing itself often gets the creative juices flowing, but I don't pressure myself to spend x amount of time writing or get through x number of words. That takes the fun out of writing, and if it isn't fun anymore, there are tons of other things I can do that aren't fun (but pay more).

Rebekkamaria · Apr 15, 2015

I don't write every day either. Other obligations take a lot of my time and energy (demanding job, university), and I'm a bad sleeper so there are times when I don't have enough brain activity to do anything about writing. But I do write even if I don't feel like it. I have no problem working even if I'm not "inspired" to do so. I write whenever I have enough to give. That's about 3-7 times a week, depending on how much I've slept and how stressful the week is.

To write every day is a good goal because it keeps you doing it through everything and you get better at it the more you do it (better at doing it and better at the craft). That's my goal, but I'm working towards it. I'm not there yet. If you've found that it doesn't work for you, do something else as long as it's regular.

Taylor Harbin · Apr 16, 2015

How do you define "writing"? You don't have to compose something new each time you sit down. You could be editing a previous work. But at the end of the day, consistency of some kind is what you should go for.

Usher · Apr 16, 2015

My characters force me to write most days. Sometimes life gets in the way but I carry a pad and paper, and have a script writing app on my phone. It's very rare I don't write a sentence or two.

The only exception is the week after completing a novel draft or a draft for a sit-com ie the completion of a length story. Then for a period of time my characters are silent and I have a peace -- I don't need to write.

For me the key is to be so into the stories and characters that not writing is the chore.

flapperphilosopher · Apr 16, 2015

gettingby said:
I agree with what you are saying, but you are practically writing every day. How do you get yourself to feel like writing on most days? Is it something you worked up to or is that just how it is with you?

I want to improve as quickly as I can. I do feel like I write all the time even though it's not every day. I would like to be doing more. Just that my attempts seem to backfire on me. But I am interested in hearing more about how you keep that feeling of inspiration and wanting to write going.

It's mostly just that I get excited about it. I think about my work a lot, usually throughout the day, which gets me looking forward to getting into it. I often have a surge of wanting to write on the way to work, which isn't helpful, but then I can tell myself "okay, later!" and be keen to go once I get the chance. I find a degree of anticipation helpful--even when I don't have anything to do that day, sometimes I tell myself I'm not allowed to write until 7 or something, even if I have the time and desire, to build it up. It's almost like making sure you have time apart from the person you're crazy about, so you miss them and it's even better seeing them the next time.

It's pretty well always been like that with me, at least for the past few years when I've been really serious. As soon as I started writing my first Serious novel I felt this keenness to work on it every day, though also the need to take time away from it, even if it's forced.

I might sound super crazy, haha, but that's how it goes for me!

Introversion · Apr 16, 2015

gettingby said:
Have any of you tried and failed at an everyday writing schedule?

Yes. I go through spurts where I do write every day, and then sometimes I go weeks without. Not because "I'm tired", or "I don't want to". Sometimes I just. Can't. Write. It's like turning on a faucet and nothing but air comes out. The muse is pining for the fjords.

Some people will tell you that this is a personal failing; you MUST get in the habit of putting your butt in the chair every day, no exceptions. If you're not "working out that writing muscle" every day, it's getting / staying uselessly flabby.

I say, says who? Since when does "one size fits all" apply to creative processes for everyone? Some people plot everything out in great detail before writing, some are fly by the seat of their pants; we don't say one or the other is "the only way to do it."

I say, don't beat yourself up if writing every day doesn't work for you. It isn't helpful. Just because others can do it, doesn't mean you can or should.

Do you like what you write? Do you enjoy writing? These are the goals by which I measure myself.

Caveat: I have a day job, and I don't write fiction for a living. Nor do I ever expect to do it for a living. But even if I had to, I expect that I'd have trouble writing every day. That would be a problem.

Also: What I do try to do on days when I can't write new, is edit words written, or do research. Sometimes that will spur me to write after all, when i didn't think I had it in me. In fact, sometimes editing has preceded some of my more productive writing sessions. Find what works for you. Write the good stuff you're proud of. Don't sweat the amount of time it takes.

GraemeTollins · Apr 16, 2015

When I'm doing a first draft I write just about every day. I write quickly, safe in the knowledge that I can edit later, and that my first draft is far closer to an extended outline than anything. I give myself that freedom to experiment.

With revising and editing, things were a little (lot) slower. What I have found for me is that if I refuse to think about it and just attack it as soon as I have the opportunity, usually straight from work, I enjoy myself once I have got going and am productive. Not always, but nine out of ten, and by this point I know the characters and the story I really want to tell. Sometimes it's just the thought of all that work still to come that is hardest.

Over-thinking and perfectionism are my two bugbears. By banishing those two, I find that the whole process is far less complicated.

Undercover · Apr 16, 2015

I go in spurts too. My first and second novel wasn't that way though. Seems as I write more novels (on #7) my writing gets slower and slower. Then stops. Then starts back up again. I play around with word counts and pressure myself to do more. The more I push myself though, the more I procrastinate. Unless I can float myself through the middle, a balance of wanting to write and actually doing it, it won't work. Like if I push the meter too far, I completely run out of gas.

I have ALWAYS struggled with writing from the very get go. Bipolar here. Reading and writing both can be a huge challenge for me. Only when I'm in my stride is pure pleasure of performing both. Sometimes the performance falls flat, and either down the book goes, or down the pen goes. Oh, and right now it double sucks because I don't have a working computer at home so I have to come to the library. So I'm writing first, then typing it out. So it's extra hard to push myself. But when I do accomplish writing that day, I feel so much better. And yet, I still battle with it. I don't know. As long as I have a new ms within a year or so time, I'm good.

WriterBN · Apr 16, 2015

I heard that "write every day" advice so often that I thought I was somehow deficient for not doing it. So I tried, and it it just didn't work for me. I do write most days now, even if it's just a sentence or two, but there are some days when I just can't, from physical or mental exhaustion.

As many have said, the key is to find what works for you.

rwm4768 · Apr 16, 2015

My thoughts on writing every day vs. not writing every day:

Are you producing as many books as you'd like to, and at the quality you want? If so, keep doing whatever you're doing. If not, maybe you do need to find a different writing routine.

heza · Apr 16, 2015

jjdebenedictis said:
I can only write every day if I brainstorm every day and do that first.

I need to know what's supposed to go on the page before I can make any headway.

You know, I think that's my deal, too. I'm a muller. I have to mull the scene over in my head and get a firm idea of how it's going to go down and what all the emotional components of it are before I start writing it down.

Even if I held strictly to the "write every day" wisdom, I don't think I could write on my WIP every day. There's just no point to me in doing it wrong when I could mull for a couple of days and then do it right. I suppose, if I were writing every day only for the practice, I could spend those days writing flash fiction, but it still just seems like busy work. I hate busy work.

Hellebore · Apr 16, 2015

Sometimes I write 56 words, and sometimes I write 2,000 and get up at 2 AM to plant an onion from the fridge. You'll find something that works eventually, so don't go tearing your hair out or anything. :tongue

Shunter · Apr 16, 2015

Hellebore said:
Sometimes I write 56 words, and sometimes I write 2,000 and get up at 2 AM to plant an onion from the fridge. You'll find something that works eventually, so don't go tearing your hair out or anything.

I'm glad I'm not the only one with sprouting onions. I swear, I bought the bag two weeks ago and it's like a garden in my vegetable drawer.

I write every day and I don't. Some days I write huge amounts, 9 or 10k words, and when I do that I just sit and write because I know that for the following day or two I will write nothing at all. Some days I write the same chapter over and over until I can't think of a better way to re-write it and quit for the day.

I attempt to write every day. If I don't, I feel lazy. I don't have a job right now; writing is my job for now. So I 'go to work' and write.

Editing, however, is much easier. I can edit all day long. It is terribly exhausting and actually makes me feel able to finish at 5pm and eat dinner without thinking of the writing I should be doing instead. It turns out, when doing something I like, I am a bit of a workaholic.

Lillith1991 · Apr 16, 2015

rwm4768 said:
My thoughts on writing every day vs. not writing every day:

Are you producing as many books as you'd like to, and at the quality you want? If so, keep doing whatever you're doing. If not, maybe you do need to find a different writing routine.

This is a great point in my opinion. If it isn't broken, don't fix it. But if it is, then do something to change it. I personally haven't ever gotten more than three chapters into writing a novel before hitting a major snag that makes things grind to a halt, even with an outline. And for me, the major issue was burn out. Long as I outline, I don't have that problem with novellas. I never have that problem with shorts. With novels I would write three chapters in under a week because I was so excited, then I wouldn't be able to write. But a low wordcount on a novel sized project, like say 100words a day, is something that I know would work for me.

It is all about motivation. The low goal allowing me to not feel like a failure on days I can just barely scrape 100 words together, while well exceeding the goal on days I am in the zone.

jaksen · Apr 17, 2015

I write - or work on my writing - every day. But I'm obsessive. I look at it like brushing my teeth, it's a habit. I just do it. I write on holidays, on vacation, at family get-togethers. It might be a few lines on a napkin - or the notebook I carry around, but I do it. I actually feel awful if I don't.

I got sick on my birthday last December, the kind where you're hiking to the bathroom nineteen times in a row and get like five minutes of sleep at night. My whole family came over to throw me a party - minus me, upstairs, being sick. At one point my husband came up to find me looking over some writing notes - which I then threw on the floor as I hiked to the bathroom one more time. His comment to me:

'You can take a day off now and then.'

Why can't I write everyday? Can you do it?

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