I browsed back in my Kindle and found a book called Stop Worrying, Start Writing by Sarah Painter. I was surprised, when I opened it, to find I had closed it last at the 92% mark — meaning I had already read most or all of it. (Update: I later checked my “Books Read” log and found I had read it in October 2020.)
I read to the end and started over, reading the first four chapters until I got to the part where she says that almost every book about productivity — writing or otherwise — eventually gets to the point of telling you to buckle down and just do it — get started.
So here I am practicing my writing. Am I going to go back and convert these handwritten scribblings into a blog post? (Update: Yes, I am. Two posts, in fact.) It’s not as important that I do; the point is to be writing — “writers write” and all that. That’s the point of my daily blogging habit — to ensure that I write something, anything, every day.
“Write anything until you write something.” I’ve had days when I write anything that comes to mind and after two pages I flow into a current that becomes a blog post or a scene for the story/novel. I’ve had days when I have something important to say as soon as I start writing. I’ve had days when I write or draw gibberish until I quit for the day. The thing those days have in common is that I sat down to write.
On the days when I don’t sit down to write, nothing happens. Duh! On the days when I do sit down to write, sometimes nothing happens, but most of the time a little something or a big something happens.
So what is it that keeps me from sitting down to write, some days? It’s when I forget something essential, which I’ll get into on Friday.