As writers we tend to be perfectionists who often see things as all-or-nothing, instead of noticing the shades of grey in-between. Or maybe it’s just me?
But here’s the thing—when you’re doing a lot of writing, you’re bound to have a shitty day at some point. A day when you’re not loving the words that are coming out. A day when you want to delete every single thing you’ve just written and go lay in bed for the rest of your life.
It’s just a part of the creative process.
Creativity is messy and contradictory and unpredictable. But it somehow always works itself out if you show up to the page and do the work.
The pro writer creates success by showing up to the page every day.
Even when they don’t feel like it. Even when it’s inconvenient. Even when they don’t have time. Even when there are a million other things they could or should be doing.
And it’s the showing up every day that makes the inspiration and creative flow, that makes the words pour out of your head faster than you can type.
Yesterday was an off writing day for me. I usually sit down to write my blog post and the words just flow without having to think much about it.
But yesterday that didn’t happen. I had to really force myself to get the words out yesterday. And I didn’t love what I wrote at all. (But I put it out there anyhow.)
And today started off the same way.
I didn’t know what to write during my freestyle journaling time. I didn’t know what to write this blog post about. I started two other posts and then stopped those and came back to this one.
Years ago if I had a shitty writing day, I’d just stop writing and blame it on the fact that I didn’t know what I was doing and I wasn’t good enough, and then I’d procrastinate for awhile until I finally stepped up again to answer the call of my soul to put words on the page.
Doing my soul’s work, my writing, has always been an area of Resistance for me in my life. Because I’ve known from a very young age that I was born to write. There are lots of other things I love to do and am passionate about and good at, but writing is the thing I was put on this planet for.
I was born to tell stories, and channel messages and ideas and creations that transform writers’ lives.
And by fully stepping into that purpose, there’s no longer space to stop writing or procrastinate. Showing up and doing the writing is a non-negotiable.
So even on an off writing day, even on a day when I don’t feel like it or I don’t love what I wrote, I still write it and I still hit ’publish’ and put it out there. Because it’s not my job to judge the words. It’s my job to write them down and put them out there for the writers of the world who need to read them.
It would be selfish and wrong of me to not show up and write because I didn’t feel like it, or because I thought what came out wasn’t very good.
If you’re born to write, you have a responsibility to your audience to show up, put words on the page and get those words out into the world. The form you do this in is totally up to you—blog post, novel, short story, flash fiction, stand-up comedy routine, memoir, essay, poem, song, whatever you feel called to write.
But showing up and doing the writing is a non-negotiable.
Not every day will be epic. Some days will totally suck and you’ll hate every word you write. Doesn’t matter.
You still have to show up and do the writing.
Because it’s in showing up every day and putting words on the page that you’ll find the creative flow and the connection and the purpose that you’ve desired all along.
Write with a purpose, live with intention,
#DailyThinkDifferent #DreamLifeOrBust
P.S. If writing and publishing novels is the form you choose to put words out in, I’d love for you to join us for my upcoming workshop, FINISH Your Damn Novel: 30 days of motivation, inspiration, accountability and getting-writing-done for writers who’ve started a novel (draft or revision) and want to FINISH.
Becoming a finisher is the biggest challenge most writers have, and it’s also the most important challenge to overcome, because without finishing, you’re just an amateur with a bunch of unfinished drafts.
Pro writers finish and take the next step.
Are you ready to step into the identity of the pro writer you dream of being by finally learning how to become a finisher?
>> Details and sign up here
P.S.S. Doors close TOMORROW Friday March 31 at 11:59 p.m. EST!!! We kick things off on April 1.
