I spend time each day writing. It’s really the only way, the only option. If you want to be a writer you have to write. And, you have to write a lot. And, I believe, you have to write every day.
Okay, so I’m not perfect. There are days I skip showing up at the keyboard. I create excuses on some of those days. On others, I give myself a hard time and then move on to other things.
Still, the goal is to show up daily. The goal is to make writing a priority in our lives. And, the goal is to write a lot so we have material to edit and revise. That’s where the “real” writing happens. In the revision. In the selecting of the perfect word, the best verb. It’s where the layers get added and often the senses and emotional stakes.
The truth for me is that I also feel better after I’ve written for the day. When I hit my word counts or time goals (or best of all, both!) a weight is lifted from me. I feel like I can head into the remains of the day with a clear conscious. I’ve done it, put words on the screen. Added to the story. Created something new and fresh and original. Sure, it might all be edited away tomorrow, but today, the words are on the page.
This is why I write early in the day. Before email and social media, before phone calls or chores. I show up, write my words, and then move into the rest of the day (ah, a repetition that will either be deleted in the future or enhanced somehow to add depth of meaning…)
What’s your daily practice? Your writing ritual?