Writers spend a lot of time thinking about writing and talking about writing, and in some cases, not doing much writing.
The secret to writing and getting your book written is "just do[ing] it.”
1. A hack from Anne, one of my writing buddies:
Commit to writing ONE paragraph each day.
When I walk by my laptop, the thought of writing a whole chapter is overwhelming and I'll just keep walking. But one paragraph I can do. And guess what? One paragraph usually leads to two and before I know it, I've written a page or more.
2. A hack from Lesley, another writing buddy:
Do everything in 20-minute increments.
That's what I'm doing for pretty much everything in my life these days. I can find 20 minutes to play my flute, practice my Spanish, or jot down some ideas for my next comedic piece. Twenty minutes. That's it.
3. A hack from me:
Write 100 words.
In fact, that's what I did last weekend. I wrote a "tiny love story" (100 words with a beginning, middle, and an end) and submitted it to the NY Times. I don't know if they will accept it, but I scored a big victory no matter what.
As I wrote those 100 words, I rediscovered the joy of writing. Absent the pressure I often feel when I'm trying to write something "important," joy and excitement bubbled up inside me.
One hundred words allowed me to share a story that mattered to me. A story I hope will matter to others. A story I now believe will be the subject of my next memoir! 🤩
Those 100 words energized me. Made me WANT to get back to the page—instead of feeling like writing was an obligation.
We don’t need grand plans or huge swaths of time to get some writing done. In fact, smaller chunks of time may be the answer.
Better one paragraph than none at all.
Better twenty minutes of focused writing than four hours of procrastination.
Better 100 words than “failing” at a plan to write 1500.
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