THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: WRITING EVERY DAY REVISITED
One of the first pieces I did on the blog was about writing every day (found here) and I know that I've touched on it in my trial of an indie author pieces as well (found here) and I thought that it would be a good idea to go back and talk about it again.
When I was first starting out as an indie author, it was the one piece of advice that I heard a whole ton: oh you must write every day, it's the only way to be valid as a writer. For someone who has multiple physical and mental health conditions, it wasn't something I found easy, or something that I personally could relate to. Even back then when I wasn't as organised and planner centric as I am now, I didn't have it in me to write every day and I'll be honest, it kinda made me feel like I was a bit of a fraud.
It's really only been the last few years that I've heard different advice. I've been someone who's clear that you don't have to write every day to be called a writer. You write when you can, and so long as you're doing the writing, you are a writer. I don't just mean for people like me who have physical limitations on what they do, but every single writer out there. If you can't write daily, that's okay, if you find that you can, that's also okay. I feel like too much pressure is put on people to only write a certain way to be considered 'valid' and the truth is, all the ways are valid because everyone is different.
Personally, I've found a way to write that works for me, and I've talked about it a lot, both here and on Authortube, but you have to find your own path. You have to find the way that works for you on your own. That doesn't mean that you can't ask for advice, and you can't learn from other writer, but that it's a lot of trial and error and taking what other people do, trying it out and seeing if it fits for you. There's nothing wrong if you find that someone's way works for you with adaptation, or even without any, it doesn't make you any less valid as a writer, and if you find that it doesn't work for you in any way, shape, or form, the same applies.
Writing advice is never going to be a one size fits all, everyone works differently and that's a pretty amazing thing. It's especially important to find you own path because so much of it is subjective. I can sit here and tell you that this works for me, and it's the only way it works for me, but that doesn't and shouldn't apply to every writer out there.
The same can be said for the writing every day advice. It's great to have a writing routine, but if you keep pushing yourself to create every single day for the rest of your life, then you will end up burnt out and no one wants that. It's part and parcel of the creative life, there will be times when you need to sit back and refill, and doing that doesn't make you any less of a writer than someone who does write every single day. It's different strokes for different folks, and there's no shame in needing a break.
Personally, I write at a maximum of five days in a row and then I take a break from writing and work on something else, whether that's doing a video or revising a project, or even just taking the day off completely. It works for me because I spend my time when I'm not working, reading, chatting with friends, playing games on my phone and the like. It allows my brain a chance to repair itself, to refill the creative well and go from there. Writing every day is not the only way to be valid, and it never will be.
So take a breath, take a break, and remember that you are valid as a writer so long as you write, doesn't have to be every day, doesn't even have to be every week. You look after you, and don't worry about what anyone else is doing. You've got this.
Any questions? Lemme know in the comments below!
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