December 2013

No Such Thing as Perfect

Nephele Tempest

Procrastination is like a virus. It lays you low, keeps you from getting anything done, and spreads like wildfire since, when we procrastinate, we often distract others in our effort to avoid whatever we should be doing. Procrastination is the writer’s enemy, and is often tied to this concept that we need just the right conditions in order to write. You hear writers bemoan the lack of a dedicated writing space, the noise level in their homes, the distractions of every day life. And yes, I’ll acknowledge that it’s occasionally necessary to do the laundry and take out the trash, and that the kids can turn up their stereos too high. But there is a difference between living your life, and using your life to avoid your writing.

No one has perfect writing conditions. That’s just reality. Even if you get to be a multi-title bestseller and can afford nannies and cooks and people to take your packages to the post office for you, there will be something vying for your attention and encouraging you not to write. Life gets in the way, no matter how much help you have. So, that fantasy that occasionally overtakes you? The one about the perfectly appointed desk in your private office with the lovely-but-not-at-all-distracting view and the quiet, inspirational background music? Get over it right now. Perfection is a myth, and if you wait for the perfect moment to write, you’ll never get anything done.

I can extend this example through all the levels of your potential writing career, of course. The book will never be perfect — just as good as you can get it. There is no perfect book deal or perfect career arc. You work hard and take advantage of as many opportunities as you can, and when they don’t appear you keep working and make them happen. But all that requires that you start somewhere. That you start writing and keep writing, every day, even if you can only steal 15 minutes. Don’t wait for the perfect situation to write. Just go do it.

Advantages of a Daily Habit

Nephele Tempest

Those of you attempting my December Writing Challenge probably already have some good reasons for giving it a go. You have a deadline looming, you’re excited about a new project, and so on. But some of you may be resisting on the grounds that it’s not necessary to write every day in order to become a better writer, or to succeed at your craft. And to you I say, very true. However…

Even if daily writing isn’t necessary, there are some excellent arguments for making writing a part of your day-to-day routine. Our brains are trainable things, and respond well to repetition. The more frequently we practice something, the more likely we are to improve as our brains begin to understand what we expect of them.

Creativity is a funny thing. Everyone approaches it in their own way. However, writers who show up at their desks every day, at the same time when possible, find that things pop into their head just a little bit easier. Not always, of course, but more often than not. Thinking creatively becomes a habit, because we’ve trained our creative muscles to perform on demand.

Beyond that, daily writing makes you more productive. Even if you acknowledge that not every day’s writing is gold, you will find that the more you write, the more useable materials you produce. Ray Bradbury used to write a short story every week. He defied up-and-coming writers to produce 52 terrible short stories over the course of the year; something was bound to succeed. At the very least, over the course of that year, the writer would learn what worked and what didn’t, where they needed to focus their attention, and what sort of projects suited their interests and talent.

Finally, why write every day in December? Yes, it’s a busy month. Yes, you could put off this challenge until after the holidays. But that goes against the general point of this challenge. I’m daring you to write daily even when life is at its most hectic. If you can pull this off, come January 1st, when everyone is groaning through their hangovers and trying to kickstart their New Year’s Resolutions, you will have a whole month’s head start. You’ll have a month of writing daily under your belt, the words you’ve produced, and a wonderful new habit to help you continue advancing your writing in 2014.

So think about it. And then go write.

Time to Be Challenged

Nephele Tempest

A few days ago I mentioned my December Writing Challenge. Unlike NaNoWriMo, the idea is not to reach a certain word count by the end of the month, but to commit to finding time to write every day. We all know how hectic this time of year can get, with holidays and other things vying for our attention, but if you want to be a writer, it’s important to make writing you priority.

Is it necessary to write daily to be a successful writer? Of course not. There are plenty of folks out there who do just fine writing on some other schedule. But the truth of the matter is that there’s a certain simplicity to doing something every day. It becomes ingrained in your life, a habit, as routine as brushing your teeth or checking your e-mail.  You no longer need to decide if you’re going to write on a given day, because that decision has already been made. Of course you’re going to write, because you always write.

Finding the time is more of a challenge, but I have faith in your creative abilities, both as writers and as architects of your day. Write over breakfast or during your coffee break; get up a few minutes earlier in the morning; if you use public transportation, take a pen and notebook or your laptop on your commute. If necessary, steal small segments of time. You’ll be surprised how much you can achieve in just fifteen minutes if your brain is already primed to produce something each day.

So that’s the goal: Write something every day, preferably for half an hour or more, but at least for 15 minutes. Don’t worry about quality or number of words. Don’t worry about editing. You can work on one project or several, but please don’t count assignments for your day job or whining blog posts or anything of that nature. I’m talking creative endeavors; novels, short stories, poetry, creative nonfiction, book projects, etc. The things you want to work on but struggle to fit into your day. And because I know life gets in the way, I’m giving you two freebies over the course of the month. Aim to write every single day but know that you have two days you can take off at will. You decide when to use them.

I’ll be posting encouragement here and on Twitter all month long, both by way of cheerleading and through a few fun writing prompts to get you over the hump if you’re having a dry spell. So be sure to check back and see what goodies spark your interest.

For those of you who already have a handle on daily production, I invite you to play along, anyway. Set your own goals to modify the challenge, and please feel free to come check out the prompts here over the month.

So that’s the challenge. I wish you a wonderfully productive December. Now go write!