Why I’ve Just Had My Worst Writing Week on Medium

Sometimes the wheels fall off the writing wagon. But what to do about it?

I have learned a big lesson this week. Recently I posted that I was going to reduce the number of posts I made on Medium from one a day to between three and four a week.

I implemented that new regime form last Saturday. On Sunday, I was itching to write, and it was all I could do proverbially to chain myself down to the living room chair and refuse to do so.

On Monday, too, I thought long and hard about writing but resisted the temptation. I noticed, though, that the itch wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been on Sunday.

Tuesday arrived — the day I was supposed to write my next post. I slunk out of bed, not daring to think about what I might write about. I suddenly found myself employing every trick in the book to prevent me from engaging with my writing: bagpipe practice, shopping, housework, a long walk in the summer sun.

Well, Wednesday, too, came and went, and not a word went on the page. That day I barely gave writing a second thought.

What’s worse, I had made a promise to Ayodeji Awosika that I would write up between five and ten potential titles for posts every morning — this is a non-negotiable for him if you’re doing the Medium Blogging Course.

But, yes you guessed it, I hadn’t done that since Sunday either.

Writing doubt gremlins

This morning (Thursday) I struggled out of bed and promised myself I would write something — anything — for Medium by the end of the afternoon. I wasn’t looking forward to it, and I realized that the writing doubt gremlins had set in.

Who wanted to read my work anyway?

It’s all been done before.

I can’t think of anything original to write about.

Medium is a saturated platform so what’s the point?

And on and on it went.

And then it dawned on me what the problem was: it is far harder to motivate yourself to write every other day than every day.

Writing less regularly requires more strength and self-discipline

In a recent Story, Tim Denning argued that writing should be addictive, like taking heroin. Now, while I don’t agree with that analysis (and neither do a lot of people judging by some of the comments he has received) I think the point he is really making is that writing should be so enjoyable that it becomes a balanced creature of habit.

If I’m to write every other day for Medium I need to train myself to respond positively to a “stop-start” regime where I can be very active writing one day and powered down the next.

Is that possible?

I’m sure it is, but it will take time and discipline to implement that regime. There will be days when I don’t write when I should. And doubtless, there will be days when I do write when I shouldn’t.

In the meantime, if I disappear off the radar for a few days from time to time, you’ll know what’s happening. It’s my regimen re-adjusting.

Takeaway

It’s harder to write regularly and reliably every other day than every day. If you’re going to do it, be kind to yourself and allow yourself time to relax into the new regime.

Ultimately, though, it takes more discipline, self-awareness, and willpower. So you’ve got to develop that as you settle in.

And if you drop a day here and there it doesn’t matter in the long run as long as you wrench the wheels back on your writing wagon as soon as you can.

After all, here I am — back in the saddle, with a new story. Maybe not my best story, but a story nonetheless.

Whip crack away!