Write Every* Day
by Fiction Editor Amanda Nevada DeMel
“Morella” illustration for E. A. Poe’s ‘Tales of Mystery and Imagination’, Harry Clarke (1889-1931), 1909; Wikimedia Commons
“Create a daily writing habit” is a piece of advice every writer hears. It’s good for getting into a groove, for keeping your skills in practice, and for feeling a sense of accomplishment.
But it just doesn’t work for me.
Does that mean I’m a subpar writer? I don’t think so. I think it’s simply a result of how my brain works. As with many neurodivergent folks, I find it difficult to stick to a strict routine and work every single day. I need some variation and time to recharge.
Try as I might, I simply can’t sit down and write at a specific time every day. I can’t find or make the time, I can’t sit still long enough, I can’t force myself to get the words out. It took me ages to even acknowledge this. When all we hear is advice for neurotypical folks, it’s difficult to accept that most of that advice doesn’t work for everyone. It’s even harder to find what does work for us.
I still get down on myself from time to time for not writing daily. I remember watching a video from Joyce Carol Oates’s Masterclass in which she says that the first draft of a short story should be written in one sitting. Coming from such a successful author, I took that to heart. But as a neurodivergent person, when it didn’t work for me, I felt a keen sense of failure. Now, not only did I fail at writing every day, but I also couldn’t finish a single draft in one session. The need to write is always there, but the capacity to do so occasionally lacks.
How much more would I be able to produce if I wrote every day? Maybe a lot more, or maybe I would just burn myself out. Either way, it’s okay that my process varies from the “norm.” Whether it takes 30 days to write 50,000 words or ten years to complete a novel, any progress is still progress. The way we get there is important, but everyone has to find what works for them.
There are so many harmful ideas that we internalize, particularly productivity being tied to worth. It takes a good deal of reprogramming our thinking to overcome this roadblock. I’m still working on it myself, and I’m still smoothing the kinks in my writing process too. Sometimes staring at the blank page is so intimidating that I shut down. Sometimes looking at notes for revision, from my own head or from others’, is so daunting that I abandon a story for a while.
However, the important part is that I eventually get back to it. It might take a week or a month, or perhaps longer, but the work will be there when I come back. Resting and taking breaks can be helpful and productive.
Writing is a need for me, as it is with so many authors. As long as I get something on the page, I will have accomplished my goal.
After all, a terrible first draft is better than no draft at all.
Amanda Nevada DeMel is an emerging speculative fiction author and current Fiction Editor of Barnstorm Literary Journal. Her favorite genre is horror, thanks to careful cultivation from her father. She especially appreciates media that can simultaneously scare her and make her cry. Additionally, Amanda loves reptiles, musicals, and breakfast foods. You can find all her relevant links at https://amandanevadademel.carrd.co/