What do you think the most important 'one step' a writer can take every day?
I would say that writing something every day is of great importance in realizing your dream of being a published writer. It's not all that difficult. You do myriad things every day because they are a habit that you formed long ago. Brushing your teeth regularly is a habit that is beneficial to you. Reading the newspaper first thing every morning is a habit, at least for me, it is. Having your morning coffee is a habit. Thus, there is no reason that writing on a daily basis cannot become a habit, as well.
It's up to you to establish the habit. You don't need to write 3,000 words or even 1,000 words seven times a week. 500 or even 200 would be alright. Of course, the more you write the better off you'll be and the better writer you'll become. You need to discipline yourself. No one else is going to call you on the phone each morning and tell you to write something.
One of the reasons I've continued this blog for over nine years is that it forces me to write five times a week and I usually write something the other two days. Are there days that all I write is the blog post? Sure, but lots of other days I write for the blog and then on to another writing project.
Writers who journal develop a habit of posting in their private journal daily. Before you ask--yes, that is considered writing every day.
We all dream about the day when our writing will be in demand, when editors come calling via email and ask for your work, when our name is recognized by many a reader. You cannot achieve that or anywhere near it by only dreaming on a regular basis. Nope. It's the writing that you must do over and over and over. That is the best way to achieve the dream. As the poster above says, you need to take one step every single day.
Write for an hour, all afternoon, or twenty minutes. Needless to say, the more the better but even that twenty minutes is worthwhile. Developing a habit takes persistence, time, and self-discipline. How important is it to you to achieve your writing dream? If it's high on the list, start writing something every day.
Yes. I maintain a journal. Every day, with few and rare exceptions. I would like to turn that into a blog / newsletter. I have maintained my journal in an incomplete format since around 1990. One of my main subjects is my life and my recovery after a severe Traumatic Brain Injury in 1983. Some of those facts have been lost forever since Mom died in 2015. Currently, I am being helped with an audio-book. But, I must believe even that will be woefully incomplete. The accident occurred 35 years ago - 29 January 1983. I've written nearly every day, since I began recording my computer journal.
ReplyDeleteYou've developed a very fine habit. Good luck with starting a blog.
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