I think I’ve stated before that writing is a game of inches. Small steps, small amounts of progress everyday is how you achieve your goal. But small progress is not zero progress, and you have to make sure that you are not content with zero progress. Pick a non-zero speed and stick with it. This is sound advice.
It is advice that I have completely ignored for the past two years. Now, granted, the last two years have not been normal. I think everyone can be forgiven for adopting some abnormal habits or abandoning their routines. It’s been hard enough to just get up everyday and make something happen, let alone being productive in certain creative pursuits that are still very much a hobby. Writing, for me anyway, is still not what is putting food on the table, so it has fallen a bit on the priority list – especially when there are other things going on in life that might constitute an emergency. I don’t want to bore you with the details of my personal life. But every person reaches that age where they must begin to repay the debt they owe to their parents for the care they received for the first eighteen years of life. Let’s just say I reached that point, and did so much more suddenly than I expected. Add to that my own medical issues, and I have been thoroughly distracted since the summer of 2019.
But I digress. This post, like many of my others, is about writing. How to do it. How to force yourself to do it (when necessary). And here is my current thinking on a writing routine. As I started this blog, and finished the writing of my first book, it seemed very important to me that I write every single day. For some writers, this is very important especially if you haven’t established the discipline yet and writing is not a habit (or in my case, you have fallen out of the habit and must re-establish it). But I will also say that reading is important too. It can provide fuel, inspiration, food for thought, whatever you want to call it (as long as you don’t call it stealing), so you should leave time for it. At this point, I’m going to make the bold move of combining these two activities and establish a routine that includes both. That is, on odd-numbered days, I will write. And on even-numbered days, I will read. I think I can stick to this routine. It keeps things fresh and interesting, and still allows for forward progress, albeit at half the speed I’m used to.
So with that, I’m happy to announce that I’m writing again. I am working on the sequel to All Lesser Means, and it’s going to be good. I will keep you updated on my progress, with some random thoughts mixed in here and there. Stay tuned, and join my mailing list for the insider scoop and bonus content.