September 17, 2012

How to Write Every Day

I've read a bunch of different interviews with established authors lately about their daily writing habits. Haruki Murakami blew my mind with his intensely physical daily routine, which includes running 10K or swimming 1500m every day! Seriously, click through and read about it. Murakami takes discipline to a whole new level.

For me, writing happens every day in one of these forms:
  • words towards my WIP, ideally ~2K
  • writing a flash piece, which I did last week on Lost Witch's blog
  • a blog entry
  • writing notes for a beta read
  • revising a WIP
  • making notes on my iphone while I "watch" my kids at the park

So, I give myself a few choices. Some, like working on a first draft of a WIP, are pure creative indulgences. I write and write until my eyes are so sore I can't stare at the screen. I try not to edit as I go. I just let the words pour out. Other tasks, like beta reading or revising take more of a critical mindset. And when I'm feeling chatty, there's always the blog.

What I like about having a lot of choices at  hand is that I know I will accomplish my goal of writing something every day, because I'm not locked in. Some of the writing tasks are longer, some are shorter. Some are more intense than others. But if I open up my WIP and am not immediately ready to type, I'm far more likely to move on to another writing assignment than hammer it out. They all need to be accomplished, after all. The schedule is up to me.

And every day, no matter what I end up writing, I do one other critical task: I read. Again, I try to have options, but always, every day, I put something new into my brain (even if it's only one page of a book), so that tomorrow I'll be able to spit something else out when I sit down to write. Reading is like homework for writers. Don't skip it, or there's no way to ace the writing test.

13 comments:

  1. I like how organized you are, and how you count all those different forms of writing as fulfilling your daily goal.

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    1. Thanks, Alexandra :) I think it's only fair to count everything we work on that contributes to our craft. It's all part of the work!

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  2. That's a great idea. I may have to steal it. I think having choices would really help. I've been so used to straight up editing, now that I'm working on a new WIP, I'm struggling to remember how to just writer. Mixing it up with choices would really help.

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    1. I find those short assignments really help get the wheels turning, especially when they're a little bit rusty. When I'm trying to get in a groove, I like to pick something like a blog post, that will be done in less than an hour.

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  3. I do the same, Melanie. And I always look forward to the days I can devote enough time to a WIP.

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  4. Very interesting thought on writing everyday. I probably do a lot more writing than I give myself credit for...

    -K8
    http://froze8.blogspot.com/

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  5. I like how you point out all the options- I too probably write everyday when I consider these choices. Love the *notes* on the iPhone- do it too!!! I also like the "voice memo" option.

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    1. I don't know why, but I've never tried voice memos. I guess I have a hard time believing they work well, and of course I can't deny myself the joy of having to retype everything at least three times on my phone! I'll have to get with the program and try VO sometime.

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  6. "Reading is like homework for writers." :D From now on, I shall tell everyone 'I'm not slacking off - I'm doing my homework.'

    Thanks for this one!

    Julia

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  9. By daily making highlights and the ongoing writing tips and the ideas this would of course be more easy for you to go ahead and make those of the effective writing. buy assignments online

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