#173: Writing or Nothing at All
Not one but two legendary writers use this technique to get their words done. The first one is Neil Gaiman. He used to have a gazebo behind his house in Woodstock, NY. He would go there with nothing but a notebook and a pen. The rules were simple: either write or stare at the trees outside until the session was over. More recently, he’s been going to his house on the Isle of Skye in the Scottish Highlands to write his books. The goal is to get so bored that writing doesn’t seem such a terrible thing to do.
The other one is Jerry Seinfeld. He writes seven days a week. Every day, he has time scheduled for writing. During this time, he only allows himself to write or do nothing. He also starts every writing session with the end in mind. When the time is up, he stops.
Every writer has a unique process of writing. I find learning about how others work fascinating. Over time, you pick up little tricks here and there that may or may not work for you. But when you see multiple people do the same thing, that’s when you should start paying attention.
I love the approach that Neil Gaiman and Jerry Seinfeld take because it combines being hard on yourself and taking it easy. You set up a schedule, then do whatever you can to stick to it. When it’s time to write, it’s time to write. No excuses.
But we’re far from perfect. We’re not machines. Sometimes, the writing hour comes, and you just don’t have it. That’s fine. You can simply go through the motions. Sit down and stare out of the window until the hour is up. It doesn’t matter whether you end up writing 5 words or 5,000 words. As long as you sat down to write, it was a success.
You know that tomorrow and the day after, and the one afterwards, you will show up and try again. And you will keep trying until the words come out. That’s the true power of habit.
Habits can seem restrictive and boring. But in reality, habits set you free. Knowing that, tomorrow, you will write again makes today’s session way less important. It’s fine if it doesn’t go well.
The next time you’re tempted to escape writing by procrastinating on Instagram, open the text editor instead. Watch the cursor blink on the screen for a while, even if you know that you won’t be able to write anything. Be with the discomfort. Face those fears.
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#172: The Winter Slump is Here, December 2020
#171: Shun the Nonbelievers, November 2020
#170: Comparisonitis, November 2020
#169: Free Writing Planner and Word Counter, November 2020
#168: Decisions, decisions, decisions, November 2020
