By Matt Wildig
It’s one of those questions that we writers love to argue about. Maybe we dive deeply into the “discussion” because we love to ponder life’s big questions. Or maybe it’s because we love to politely borrow any neat tricks other writers use to hone their craft. Or, and I think this is the real winner here, maybe we just love finding anything to do that isn’t writing.
But I guess that draws me to the title of this blog – should you write every day?
Yes. You should force yourself to write.
Every. Single. Day.
I know it sucks to hear. But wait – I’ll explain why I’m siding with the passionate (and ridiculously frustrating) half of the debate. As someone who hated reading such advice, I can wholeheartedly assure you that it’s helped me strengthen my process and stories.
I get it. We all live different lives. Maybe you’re juggling three jobs, university, and have an overexcited Jack Russel who demands three walks a day. Trust me, I wouldn’t judge you if you said there’s no way you could squeeze writing into that mix.
But if your schedule is truly that bonkers, you might have an interesting opportunity on your hands. You don’t have the luxury of overthinking words on a page, or wondering how long until the blank page will manifest into a story. Instead, you only have moments – waiting in a café line, riding the train, doom-scrolling before bed (because there’s always time for socials, right?), or, yes, sitting on the toilet. These moments offer a kind of spontaneity a writer with a fixed time slot might overlook. That’s your window.
So, here are four pointers on how to use that window.
1. Make writing part of your day, no matter what you’re doing.
Got a half-hour work break? Waiting for your AirPods to charge? On the treadmill? Open your notes app or pull out your little notepad (buy a small one that fits in your pocket). Write something! I get it – TikTok demands your attention but resist the call. We writers are professional procrastinators, and can avoid writing better than anyone else, but this is your chance to break the cycle.
2. You’re a builder, and your story is a house.
When you’re writing, it’s a good idea to work on something you’ve already started. Don’t get me wrong – writing anything is a win. But remember, the goal is to build your stories into solid houses that won’t fall apart and kill their inhabitants. There’s always a new, shiny story idea tempting you. Write it down for later if it’s that good but whatever you do, stick with your current story. Good ideas are solid foundations, once they’re down, they’re extremely hard to remove.
3. Don’t delete!
You have a voice in your head, and it loves to tell you when something sucks and needs to be deleted. Don’t listen. Anything you write is better than anything you didn’t. That voice is the evil twin of the one that tells you to drunk-text your ex at 3 a.m. Trust me, nothing good comes from listening to that voice, only darkness and despair. You can always edit later, but you can’t edit what you never wrote. So, no deleting! Keep it and add more tomorrow. You’ll thank yourself later.
4. Have fun with it.
You’re stuck at a family event you didn’t want to go to, and you’ve decided to sneak in some writing – my golden rule? Have fun. I know. Ugh. Sappy, right? Honestly, it’s true. Once the words start flowing, (even in the sad stories) there’s a joy that comes with creating something out of an idea that once rattled around your head. Think about it, you’re a part of the same process that every great writer has experienced. Be proud of that. And you never know. You could be the next *insert your favourite author here*.
Bottom line, be ready to write every day. It doesn’t have to be a lot. A line, a paragraph – what matters is making a habit of getting words on the page. So next time you’re in a coffee line, take out your phone and write something.
Since you’ve made it this far, I’ll practice what I’ve preached. Here’s a line I wrote today while standing in line at the Bake House Café. It’s not Shakespeare, and it’s far from Stephen King, but I didn’t hate it.
If I had to give the guy credit for one thing, it was that he knew how to bake one hell of a quiche.