Should you write every day? Many experts suggest that you should. Many great writers have written every day. But many have not.
There is no “one size fits all” answer to the question. Whether you write every day or not is determined by several things. And the situation is different if you’re writing short pieces or working on a book.
Context matters.
Most of my clients are in the middle of their careers and the middle of their lives. They’ve got a ton of things on their plates. There’s work to do and family obligations to meet. You have to take what life gives you.
Some of my clients write every day and some don’t.
Some of my clients write every day. They carve out a regular, small niche in all the things they must do and devote it to writing
Some of my clients write every week. For some, that means a regular schedule. They write every Saturday morning or some other day and time that’s the same every week. Other clients schedule their writing time when they plan their week. It’s usually one of the “big rocks” that they put in first.
Any writing rhythm can work.
The truth is that any writing rhythm can work. I’ve witnessed all kinds of schedules from my clients. One is what I call a “pulse” writer. He works for months on doing research and putting together very detailed outlines. Then he goes away to some place where he won’t be disturbed and writes his manuscript straight through.
Working on a book is a special case.
If you’re writing a book, there are some additional factors in play. You want to produce consistently good work over a period of a year or more. You must write enough to finish your project in a reasonable period of time. And, of course, you must do a lot of editing and revising.
Regular rhythm is important.
If you’re writing a book, it pays to have a regular writing rhythm. If all your writing sessions are on the same day of the week, at the same time, and in the same place, your brain will quickly learn that those days and times and that place means that it’s time to write. Everyone around you will learn the same thing. And you can develop a regular protocol to prepare for each session.
You must have enough long-enough sessions.
Because you need to finish your book in a reasonable period of time, you need to have writing sessions that are long enough to make significant progress. For most people, that means a session of at least an hour. You may string sessions together on a designated writing day. But research and my experience both say that the maximum total productive time you will have is 3 to 4 hours in a day.
Use non-writing days to prepare for your next session.
You may be writing only once or twice a week, but you want to have your full energy devoted to writing every time. So, use the days that you’re not writing to prepare for your next session. Do some research. Brainstorm a few ideas.
Touch your project every day.
You may not be able to devote a significant chunk of time to writing every day. That’s OK. You should still touch your project every day. Take some notes. Gather some resources. Review some of your work. Bounce some ideas off someone else. All of this works best if you have all of the materials related to your book in one place.
Strive for a little progress every day.
If you write when you can, and touch your project every day you can make progress every day. This doesn’t have to be world-shaking. when you make a little progress every day, it’s easy to maintain momentum and enthusiasm.
Takeaways
There is no “one size fits all” answer.
Context matters.
Some of my clients write every day and some don’t.
Any writing rhythm can work.
Working on a book is a special case.
Regular rhythm is important.
You must have enough long-enough sessions.
Use non-writing days to prepare for your next session.
Touch your project every day.
Strive for a little progress every day.