I came across a short, but sweet, article on The Riverdale Press website this morning and it really put the writing process into perspective for me. We could all use some Friday inspiration, so I just needed to share it.
The writing process is unpredictable. It’s hard to calculate when a final product will be completed. There’s so much to take into account when making a writing schedule. How many hours will you realistically be able to devote a day, week, or month to your writing? Will emergencies or unforeseen events pop up? Your missing a couple character names or need to add a few more scenes- how can we know when inspiration will strike? Can I guarantee that I will be in 100% writing mode every day? Unfortunately, the answer to all these questions is, “I DON’T KNOW!” That’s what makes writing so scary and thrilling at the same time. Just like anything else in life, we can’t guarantee what will happen next.
That’s exactly why I love Josh Greenfield’s writing mantra so much- take writing one day at a time. Just worry about what you are doing in that moment, in those next 4, 6, or 8 hours and nothing else. If you have an awesome writing day, relish in that success. Don’t think about tomorrow. Don’t worry about whether or not tomorrow will be just as successful. If you had a bad writing day, don’t stress about it. Don’t pressure yourself into thinking that tomorrow is going to be just as bad, or worse. Don’t play mind games with yourself, just be. Good days will come, but bad days will be right behind them. That’s life and there’s nothing we can do about it, so why worry? Write in the moment.
Writing is a complicated process. Our lives are complicated. Our emotions are complicated. In today’s hectic world filled with insurmountable expectations, we need to simplify wherever we can. Let’s start with our writing- one thing we can actually control. Simplify your writing process by taking it one day at a time. Write on.