10 Reasons Why You Should Write Daily

“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect”-Anaïs Nin

To test a long-held theory, I started a daily writing experiment. It’s related to the idea that the longer something takes to complete, the better quality it must inherently be. As an emerging writer, I would spend close to 10-hours working on one article; a process that does not work well in the algorithm favouring internet age.

Parkinson’s Law points out that people usually take all the time allotted (and frequently more) to accomplish any task. In the case of writing; giving yourself twenty hours to complete an article you could have completed in six hours means the tasks will become more complex and daunting so as to fill the allotted time. You might not even use the extra hours in writing, but the extra tension and stress lead you to procrastinate. By setting a target to publish daily, you can reduce the complexity of the task and gain back time.

This has been my greatest learning this past week; work smarter, not harder.

Below is a list of other lessons I have gained this week.

1.How To Find Your Voice

You have to write a million words before you find your voice as a writer.” -Henry Miller

The only way to find your writing voice is by writing more. Your writing voice is your unique style of writing. To hone this voice you need to produce a lot of content. Writing more allows you to become comfortable with your writing voice. Each word you write presents an opportunity to sharpen your voice and master the craft. Once you turn the tap on the words will flow more naturally.

2.How To Fail Better

“Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good.”-William Faulkner

You need to silence your self-criticism; the inner voice which reminds you that you are not good enough. This voice curbs creativity and prevents you from completing the work needed to achieve mastery.

Let the words flow naturally; improvement lies down the road.

3.How To Find Inspiration

I write only when inspiration strikes. Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o’clock sharp.” -W. Somerset Maugham

Inspiration is an infrequent visitor that strikes at the most inopportune time; as you shower, when you are falling asleep and as you do the dishes. While you cannot control every aspect of the creative process; you can cultivate inspiration by writing at the same time each day.

4.How To Best Use Your Time

I don’t complain about the lack of time…what little I have will go far enough. Today — this day — will achieve what no tomorrow will fail to speak about. I will lay siege to the gods and shake up the world.” -Seneca

We live in a distraction-filled era; from 24-hour news feeds, unlimited entertainment, and excessive stimulation. To build a daily writing habit, you need to control how you use your time and creative energy. Guard your writing time as best as you can. You teach others how to treat you; when you respect your writing time; they will give you the room you need to create.

5.How To Develop Grit

“The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it.- Steven Pressfield

Writing can be both liberating and frustrating. The freedom of self-management comes with a greater possibility for procrastination. You might push your writing to a later time of day, get occupied with busy work, or loose precious time scrolling through social media.

Steven Pressfield, inspiring creator of ‘The War Of Art’ calls this procrastination- Resistance the quiet voice which stops you from pursuing your heart’s desire. Resistance can take many forms from TV binges, pursuing a different career path to addictions like pornography.

Identifying what stands in the way of your creative work will help you overcome procrastination.

6. How To Savour Each Moment

We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect. — Anaïs Nin

Writing hardwires ideas and experiences into our minds. It helps us get in touch with our thoughts and feelings both grand and minor. In writing you get a chance to relive your life; to view situations from a different angle and understand yourself better. Writing allows you to explore your thoughts without fear of judgment and ridicule. In writing, your authentic self shines through.

7. How To Write More

First, forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won’t. Habit is persistence in practice.- Octavia Butler

As a newbie, you have a lot to think about. You worry about the flow of your sentences, the format of your text, and if the image you have chosen captures the essence of your article. Once you overcome these obstacles, you face the possibility of rejection from major publications.

As you build the writing habit; create a system of work. A ritual that puts you in writing mode and enables you to think less and produce more. For greater effect, write it down and refer to it each time you sit down to write.

Have a dedicated work area, your favourite drink, and binaural beats to help you get into a flow state.

8.How To Never Run Out Of Ideas

“Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.”― John Steinbeck

Your creative well will never run dry; the more you demand from it the more it produces. A daily writing habit hones your skills, builds your confidence, and structures the jumble of your thoughts in a coherent manner. As you get better at writing, you can find ideas in your everyday experiences; from a TV show, a conversation with a friend, and comments from your readers.

The more you write, the more you can write.

9. How To Build A Daily Writing Habit

“The warrior and the artist live by the same code of necessity, which dictates that the battle must be fought anew every day…That’s why an artist must be a warrior.” — Steven Pressfield

You are as good as your last creative work. Each day you are faced with a blank page, a fresh start, an opportunity to do it again. And like a warrior, you must be courageous, honourable and disciplined enough to do the work no matter what is going on in your life.

10. How To Write Faster

Don’t let the perfect become the enemy of the good-Voltaire

Nothing will ever be perfect, no matter how hard you try. Striving for perfection in your writing means you will second guess your ideas, compare yourself incessantly to other writers and obsess over stats, followers and placement of commas and semi-colons at the expense of generating content.

Writing isn’t meant to be perfect; focus on communicating your message to your reader.