Writing About Writing
Crossposted [Will Write For Feed Blog: Best Laid Plans, Writing Accountability, August 2019]
I need a new plan.
In August, I signed up with 750 Words, an online writing site. Does one need a computer site to write? No. Does it help me? Yes. I talked about it earlier [A Place To Write].
Writing for the blog happens in the morning. I like to get the next day’s post done and scheduled. Writing for work happens when it needs to. So, the plan was to write my 750 fiction words at night. Freewheeling creative work right before bed would fire up my resting neurons to worry about plot details rather than letting my brain gnaw on itself.
It was a great plan. Thinking about fiction allowed me to separate from the activities of the day and put me in a better place to get to sleep. I came up with some cool ideas. I even wrote an entry that might charitably be called a sketch. Another time I started with a fiction idea and ended up with a blog post.
So, it worked great. When I got to it. The plan utterly failed to take into account the fact that I crash like a falling tree immediately after dinner.
Yes, yes, if I really wanted, I would do it. Fiction writing is like exercise. I should do it. It would be good for me to do it. I enjoy it when I can – metaphorically – drag my ass of the couch. I certainly enjoy having done it. Alas, as with exercise, I am full of good intentions.
August stats. I wrote anything at all on 8 out of 31 days. I wrote over 750 words on 4 of those days. This is ridiculous. I can bang out a 1,000 word blog post without breaking a sweat. I am capable of generating a cover letter that is longer than the article I am submitting. Surely, I should be able to write 3 pages of fictional nonsense. But then, I should be able to exercise for 30 minutes a day as well.
How are you doing with your projects?
See you on my book tour,
Katherine Walcott
Virtual Brush Box 
Recently, my new doctor told me to walk 20 minutes a day, every day. Reasons: bone strength, cardio, weight loss. In doing it, I have found several other reasons to keep doing it: I get out of the house, I see changes every day, I have a wonderful quiet time, and, best of all, it takes me away from my everyday worries, fills my mind with new thoughts.
Takeaway: motivation. Why are you doing this? I started with physical health benefits and found mental/spiritual health benefits. The first is probably not enough to keep me going but the second is intrinsic to the activity and will motivate me much more reliably. I actually look forward to my walks!
Have you read Atomic Habits? If not, you should. It’s a very quick, concise read that will maybe give you some insight to your dilemma. My biggest takeaway? You “do” in accordance with how you identify yourself. Do you identify with being an exerciser? Probably not. I do, and therefore, I get ‘er done. Do you identify with being a blogger? I think you do. Ergo, you get ‘er done. You get the general gist. The author also goes on to give some very good ideas about how you can set yourself up for better success. When I find myself getting “stuck” I go back and re-read various chapters of this book. It’s been very helpful for me.
1) Walking is good.
2) I don’t identify myself as a blogger, but I get your point. I perceive blogging one way. It gets done. I perceive fiction & exercise another way. They do not get done. Will check it out.