On developing discipline as a writer
The time I spent writing this post would have been better served working on one of my overdue projects. This is the essence of productive procrastination.
When I post writing advice, it’s not law or science; it’s a mix of experience and perspective. The idea is that I’m in-conversation with you - a writer who needs to have a conversation. That conversation can’t happen if I’m writing a constitution. The goal of this post is fellowship, not instruction.
I’ve read too many advice articles about having a set number of working hours, daily word count/page goals and none of it addresses the fact that, for many of us indies, life is LIFING. Telling an indie to get his words in while his wife is in labor is insane (this never happened but I’m painting a picture, as writers do).
Discipline is hard. I barely have discipline when it comes to the writing job I report to and get paid for, but having an editor forces me into some kind of structure. It’s labor, and you may need to view writing as labor in order to finish your book.
Gorgeous happened under the best circumstances. I had constant feedback and support from a live-in partner, a weekend routine where I went to the gym and came home to sit at my island counter with music playing and wrote chapter after chapter. Things have changed. I have a more physical job these days, I’m less leisurely, I’m single, I’m a lot more tired. This is before I even get into how the pandemic did a number on all of us, how bouts or anxiety, depression and uncertainty broke the toughest of us. Getting this second book out has been hard, so everything I’m about to say applies to me as much as you.
Make it fun
“My mantra was: Follow the fun. If I’m not having fun, I’m doing it wrong.”
I’ll do a more in-depth post about writer’s block in the future, but here’s the short of it: Are you creatively blocked, tired, or uninspired? You need to figure that out before you beat yourself up about not feeling able to create. If life is lifing, address your life. Your sexy vampire novel can wait. If you’re creatively blocked, that might be a symptom of poor planning. If you’re uninspired, but life isn’t lifing and you’ve planned everything out, then you need to find the fun. Switch to another scene, free-write something foolish. A person whose entire function relies on imagination needs to know how to have fun. Don’t let the process take that from you.
Writing vs. storytelling
We can split hairs about this later. Pushing out words is labor. Storytelling (the inspiration part) happens elsewhere. It’s in your outline or succeeding edits. Understanding the difference allows you to plan your writing days. On that note . . .
Every day is not a writing day
I addressed this in a previous post. Just because you’re not writing doesn’t mean you’re off the hook from engaging in writerly things. Read a book. Watch some authortube. Talk to your writer friends. When I was lifting, I learned that it’s not so much what you press in the gym as it’s the nutrition you consume and how much rest you get when you’re not lifting. Rest days are an asset. Don’t feel guilty about them, utilize them.
But still set some goals
Some writers work every day for a few hours. Some wait days and bust out pages of perfect prose with an output about equivalent to the everyday writer. The thing about goals is this - you can’t set them until you know what kind of writer you are and how writing fits into your lifestyle. Know yourself first, then integrate writing into your life, not the other way around.
Forgive yourself
Your best tool is self-forgiveness. Giving into a spiral of self-doubt won’t get the thing done. You’re human. We weren’t created to be polished, productive mules. Shit happens. Acknowledge your unproductive moments and move into a productive one. Don’t self-forgive yourself into stasis.
Now write the thing.