Being so close to finishing my first novel, I thought it would be appropriate to do a mini series to encourage you writers and wanabe writers out there! So here is installment one and probably the most important of them all. 

As a writer, I have struggled with all of the things writers struggle with. We can’t pretend like they don’t exist because they do. Writing is not something that comes easy. It is hard and that is what makes it awesome!

People tell me all the time.

“I can’t seem to finish anything!”

“I get so stuck!”

“My writing is not very good.”

“I want to write, but I don’t have the time.”

Maybe you have said one of these things. I am here with the answer! But it all lies with you. Only you can change you!

Here is my tip. It is so simple, yet no one ever told me this. Are you ready for this bit of wisdom that will change you writing life?

JUST WRITE.

You are probably thinking. Wait. That’s it? That’s the tip?

My answer: YUP!

We. . . ( I am including myself in this) come up with so many excuses of why we can’t write, or in our heads we put it off, saying “I will do it later.” What I am encouraging you to do, is commit to writing something every day. I’m not talking about writing 20 pages, hundreds of words, or chapters every day. Bite off what you can chew and run with it. For me in my life, I felt like committing to 20 min. a day would be a reasonable and accomplishable task. Now, I have picked a time that works best in my day, but before that, I was just writing when I could. “Ok, I have a half hour or so? I am going to write!” or “I am going out this evening and won’t have a chance to write later? I need to write now.” Are you getting what I am saying here? Pick a goal, and MAKE IT HAPPEN! I wish someone had grabbed me by the shoulders years ago and told me this. If you can only do 5 minutes a day, go for it.

The science behind it is you are training yourself to have a habit. And you know the only way you can get past those Writer’s blocks? Its by writing. Even when it hurts, or feels like it’s taking forever to craft that choice paragraph or get through that boring part of description. In a month or so, you will have set a habit of writing every day, and it will start coming more naturally to you. And if you don’t like your writing, it will get better. Because practice makes perfect!

Seriously! It can be just 5 min. a day. For me I needed rigidity. I couldn’t let myself get away with the “nah, I’ll do it later, I’m busy now.” Or, “I’ll do it tomorrow.” Often times, what I found happened to me, tomorrow would turn into the next day, to the next day, then I would turn around and a week or a month would have gone by and I had not picked up a pen. So I made a rule with myself that if I didn’t write a particular day (because I was sick, or gone all day) that was fine, but I would have to make up for it. So if my goal was 20 min. a day, then I would do 40 the next day. That way, I wasn’t letting myself off the hook, and I was keeping myself accountable.

But really, the choice lies with you. And you may be too busy, or now is not the season that God has for you to write, and that is OK. But if you ever want to accomplish a written work, whether that be a short story, a novel, or whatever, you need to commit to actually writing.

Even if you hate what you wrote, even if it is hard. Even when your brain hurts.

I have a sheet of inspiring quotes in the nook where my bed is. Which is where I write. One of them is:

“You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank one.” ~ Jodi Picoult

My other favorite is this because it gives me such freedom:

“Writing a book is a process. Accept the process and be HAPPY with what you write each day.” 

So accept the process, commit to writing SOMETHING every day. YOU CAN DO IT!

Let me know if you ever want to chat about writing. Drop me a comment and I will get back to you!

Are you going to commit to writing every day? Did you find this post helpful?

By God’s Grace,

Victoria