Your writing process is probably different from mine, and both are valid.
There is any number of books out that all about the writing process. Different well-respected and well-known authors have shared their process. This can be extremely useful to any writer or aspiring writer, in especial if you are still working on establishing your way.
What is important to remember is that there is no One True Way™ to write. Frankly, when it comes to most things in life, there is almost never one single way to do things.
Probably the most important thing about being a writer and your writing process is the writing.
How frequently do you write? Is there a specific schedule you keep? How much time do you allot to your writing?
These are the important questions in regards to any writing process. The answer for me won’t be the answer for you, but I want to share my answers to give you some insight.
How frequently do you write?
This can be one of those questions that can be majorly daunting. Why? Because a lot of people who are writers feel that if they do not meet certain timeliness of writing, they are not true writers.
For example, any number of resources will tell you that writing daily is a must. No other option, every single day you must put words to the page or screen. Pen on paper, fingers to keys, whatever it takes – write daily.
Since I have seen this a lot, no doubt so have you. But let’s be realistic – writing every day simply may not be possible for some people.
This is ok. You are not a failure if you cannot write every single day of your life. If you can and if you do, GREAT. If not – write as often as you can.
The key is to make time to write. Every-other day, once a week, once a month, whatever it is and whatever works for you, go for it. Just make it happen.
I write daily, save most weekends. Yes, I know many advise that I should write every single day. But since my daily writing is my job, I write five days a week and give myself the weekend to do other things. Sometimes I write “overtime” and writing will happen on a weekend as such.
Now that I am publishing on Medium.com regularly, I write two articles a day for that purpose. But my writing frequency is a minimum of five days a week.
Is there a specific schedule you keep?
When you practice your writing do you keep a schedule? What that comes down to is whether you write in the morning or at night; midday or midnight; and so on.
Do you tend to write at a specific time? Do you set your own “deadlines” for writing? Do you keep any sort of schedule?
For example, I used to do most of my writing late at night. A lot of my early works got written around midnight or later because when I was working full-time writing was my side-gig.
Now, most of my writing happens between 9 and 5. I don’t just hold to that, I will write earlier and later should the muse be upon me. Since writing has become my job, I strive to keep a specific schedule to maintain my discipline.
How much time do you allot to your writing?
This differs from frequency and schedule because it is specific to each time you sit and write. Do you set an alarm and write for 30 minutes straight? Do you write until you have at least a thousand words completed? Do you write in fits and starts over the course of an hour before you can get up and move around or get a drink or go pee?
This is another variable that will differ significantly between me, you, and everyone else who writes. Some people require major discipline, and set timers and take other actions to allot writing time.
Some are much more loosey-goosy about their time allotments. They sit down, they write.
For me, I tend to be rather non-specific. At a minimum, I need to write two articles for Medium.com, even if one is being cross-posted to the Ramblings of the Titanium Don or my author website. Now that writing IS my work, I need to be at my desk and putting in the time during my set-schedule. Writing may or may not also occur earlier or later in a given day.
Variations will happen
As you are reading these words, I am away on a vacation. Because of my self-imposed deadline, I needed to have completed posts to maintain my schedule, even while away. During the week-and-a-half leading up to my vacation I have been writing three articles a day, two for the given day and one to pre-set to post while I am vacationing.
So I am putting in even more effort than normal because I need to meet my self-imposed deadline. This is a general part of my own personal writing process, and while it is working for me, it may not work for you.
What is important about your writing process is this: Write. Whenever you can, for however long and at whatever time, write. Get your thoughts to the screen or paper, and share your stories, insights, ideas, and ideals with the world. Make it happen however you can.
Know that you are worthy and deserving of sharing your ideas, fiction or otherwise, with the world. No matter what your writing process looks like, go to it, and continue to boldly be the best you that you can be, and write when, how, and where you can.
Thank you for reading these words, and taking part in my ongoing journey.
Thank you for joining me.
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This is the twenty-seventh entry of my personal blog. Please take a moment to check out the collection of my published writing, which can be found here.
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