The Habit of Writing

Most writing advice you read tells you that the best way to write productively is to schedule time to write.

It's good advice, but anyone with small children will tell you that scheduling anything, never mind time to write, is like trying to climb Mt. Everest backwards in flip-flops.

The key is not that you write at a scheduled time every day, but that you write every day.

It might only be 100 words, scribbled on the back of a grocery receipt, or it might be, on a good day, a couple thousand or more.

What's most important is that you're writing. And if all you're writing about is how tired you are, how grumpy the baby is, how messy your house is, that's fine. Regardless, you're putting butt to chair and pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).

It's developing (and maintaining) the habit of writing every day, no matter what, that is significant.

There will be days where you'll think you're too busy, too tired, too sick, too stressed, too whatever to write. Don't give in. Suck it up, take a deep breath, and write about it.