People often ask me, how do you find time to write books? My answer is usually, “I don’t know. I just do.” But after thinking about it for some time, I think I have a better answer.
1. Write 500 words every day.
Even if it’s rubbish, write. Blog, journal, email long soliloquies, whatever. Just write. The forcing of the habit will pay dividends down the road. Now, Stephen King, in his book, On Writing, says to write 1000 words a day. But let’s not go crazy.
2. Write OR Edit. Not both.
You can do one or another, but not both. So don’t worry if you end with a preposition or think you can say it better. Just write. The day will come to go back and clean it up.
3. Don’t wait for the perfect moment.
We all romanticize the writing process of sitting at a comfortable desk with a crackling fire in the background and Mozart playing on the Sonos. But most writing is done in the cracks and crevices of life and schedules. Write when you can. Maybe it’s on a voice recorder in the car. Maybe it’s with the help of Siri. Maybe it’s late at night; perhaps it’s 20 minutes before the kids get up.
Bottom line: JUST DO IT.
Even if no one reads it, you’ll be better off for having worked the thoughts through in your head.
For reference, this was about 250 words. It looks like I have another 250 to go.