Why I Write Every Day
Lots of people will tell you to write every single day if you want to take your craft seriously. While I agree with the overall sentiment that writing every day has benefits we simply cannot get without the consistency it brings, I’m not a purist. Still, I want to discuss why a daily writing habit has helped me, and share how I tend to do it.
DISCLAIMER
I absolutely love the daily ritual of putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. Writing every day is not just a habit; it's a commitment to my craft. Let me be clear, though… if life comes up (kids have activities, illness, whatever), I’m not beating myself up for missing a day or two. I also schedule days/weeks for down time each year where I set the intention of not writing. If I feel like writing that day anyways, I go with it, but it helps me mentally to know that those are bonus words, and I can stop at any time. Also, this is just my current practice and perspective. I may feel totally differently next year or even next week.
Alright, with that out of the way, here are my thoughts…
10 Reasons I Write Daily
1. Cultivating Discipline
Writing every day is mostly about cultivating discipline for myself. As a creative, discipline acts as a guide so that I can stay focused. It's about showing up consistently, regardless of the external factors that may attempt to derail my prioritization of writing as an essential part of my life.
2. Nurturing Creativity
(Hang in here, even as I get a little woo woo) I believe creativity is a living entity that thrives on attention and care. So, writing every day is a nurturing act that keeps the creative inspiration moving through me. It's an acknowledgment that creativity flourishes with regular practice, and if I want creativity to show up for me, I need to show up for it. I first heard this concept communicated in Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic, and it resonated.
3. Unearthing Ideas and Insights
Sometimes when I don’t know what to write, just the act of sitting down and starting helps to fill the blank page. Every time I open my computer holds the potential to uncover new narratives, characters, and perspectives, but in order to tap into those insights, I need to be there.
4. Overcoming Writer's Block
Writer's block is a difficulty that every writer will encounter at some point. Writing every day becomes a tool to productively engage with this challenge. By consistently writing, I find that creativity continues to move and flow, even if it’s just a trickle some days.
5. Building Writing Stamina
Just as an athlete trains to build stamina, I hone my craft by writing daily whenever possible. It's a gradual process of strengthening the writing muscles, increasing the endurance to tackle longer projects, and facing the blank page with confidence. On my more difficult days, writing sprints help to give clear parameters and a goal to meet (10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes), and I get the satisfaction each time I complete a sprint, often inspiring me to keep going for another one.
6. Documenting Personal Growth
Daily writing practice is a form of documentation. I can really see my personal and creative growth as I look back on the words I’ve written throughout the past years. It’s clear evidence of progress, lessons learned, and the evolution of my writing style and voice. It’s cool to read back through things from even just a year ago and see how far I’ve come.
7. Creating a Writing Space
Writing every day establishes an almost sacred space—a time and place where I can nestle in and creativity feels at home. It's a dedicated time carved out in the day, signaling to my mind that it’s time to let go of the rest of the world and allow myself to enter this one for a while. When I light my candle and set up my desk for a session, my hear and brain engage immediately, knowing exactly what we’re there for.
8. Embracing the Imperfect
Writing every day is an acceptance of imperfection. Not every piece will be a masterpiece, and that's perfectly fine. It's about embracing the process, acknowledging that each word written contributes to my overall growth and improvement, and letting myself express freely. Maybe more than any of the other reasons, this one has had the greatest impact on my work. I used to be such a perfectionist, and it really interfered with my ability to just allow creativity to move through me. I have far too many discarded drafts as proof. Daily writing has changed that significantly, and I noticed the shift pretty quickly.
9. Healthy Self-competition
This one may not resonate with everyone, but I thrive when I set goals for myself, and often those goals are based on things I’ve personally accomplished at some point in the past. I’m constantly working to grow and improve, so I definitely get into competition with myself sometimes. If I wrote 2,500 words yesterday, I feel a deep drive to get at least 2,501 today. It’s just how I’m wired!
10. Making Writing a Priority
Perhaps most importantly, writing every day is a declaration that writing is a priority. It's a conscious choice to carve out time amidst the hustle and bustle of life, affirming that this isn’t just a hobby but an integral part of my daily existence. It’s important for my family to see that, and it’s important for me to remember it as well.
WHAT COUNTS AS WRITING?
If I don’t (or can’t) physically sit down and write something new every day, there are other ways to engage with my writing that are just as important.
Planning & Brainstorming
This can be daydreaming or more organized thinking about the work. This counts, because it’s laying a foundation for me to take off running the next time I sit down to write. It’s part of developing my stories! This is sometimes when I do my best work, because my brain tends to be really creative when it doesn’t feel pressured to be writing a good story. I let my imagination run wild, and often find solutions to plot holes, character inconsistencies, and other sticky issues. This includes time spent on Pinterest, creating mood boards, compiling playlists, and literally anything that contributes to the creative process!
Outlining
I 100% count outlining as writing. It’s not drafting, but it’s writing. I’m not a die-hard plotter, but I’m definitely not a pantser, either. I do an outline of scenes for the entire story. Then, I add 1-3 bullet points under each scene description to clarify my goals for the scene, important events which must happen, and any specific details I want to include for foreshadowing, calling back to a previous scene/character, referencing motifs, etc. But it’s usually less than 1,500 words in total, and is just a skeleton so that I can discover the actual scene itself within that framework. I’ll do a blog post sometime on my outlining process, but the point is: outlining is writing.
Researching
Every project I’ve written has required some amount of research. I don’t like to do the research as I write if I’m in a fast drafting headspace, so I keep a list of things I need to research further, and dedicate time to doing that, usually on days where I’m not drafting at all. Still, it counts as writing, because it’s actively contributing to the creation of that book or story.
Discussing
Talking with others about our manuscripts counts as writing! I’ve solved so many plot and character issues simply by talking through them with other people. I love getting feedback from my early readers, discussing their thoughts, addressing issues, and coming up with ideas for how it could work better. It’s all part of the development of the story, and therefore is a vital part of the writing process.
Writing every day is a commitment to the craft for me, an investment in personal and creative growth, and a way for me to stay connected with my creativity. It is also not a hard and fast rule. I do recommend setting aside time to write consistently, but that’s going to look different for each person. Find what works for you, and see how your writing improves once you fully prioritize it and approach your process with intention.
Happy writing!
