I blame fast food.
Not only for America’s (and the world’s) waistlines, but for our inability to be patient. To wait.
I’m sure there are other culprits.
Social media.
Phone apps.
Electricity.
Yes. Electricity. Think about it. Turn a switch, instant light.
Well. Maybe “instant gratification” isn’t always a bad thing…
Anyway, on to my point.
It takes time to build a writing habit. There’s a process that every writer has ever gone through to get to where they’re at and there’s no getting around it.
Try something. Fail at it. Try something else, or maybe tweak what you’ve tried…whatever it takes, just keep trying…
You can try to speed it up, but a lot of times all you’ll end up doing is frustrating yourself, and maybe even those around you, and what’s the point in that?
So moving forward…
A little bit of this…a little bit of that…
To avoid getting discouraged – and then subsequently falling off the rails – I’m going to think of it as an experiment.
For the next 10 days (including today) I’m tracking the time and words (my stuff, not what I write for clients) that I write.
If I write nothing. Then I’ll make a note of it.
Whatever I write (or don’t write) I’m taking notes.
I’ll note what was happening at the time I’d set aside to write. For example, was I interrupted by something in my life or did I “interrupt” myself?
Then, I’ll hopefully have enough information for a clear picture to emerge.
Something that will show me where and how adjustments can be made.
Then, I’ll continue the experiment, keeping what works, and tossing (or tweaking) what doesn’t.
Over time, I’ll have a better writing process in place than the hit and miss one I’ve got now.
I was just reminded (by my squirrel brain) that this same technique can be applied to the HOW of my writing process.
Eek!!!
One thing at a time, Anita. One thing at a time. Cool your jets. There’s no such thing as “instant writing career”.
Or is there?
