I'm going to continue my theme from last week and write my article on, well, writing. In my last article I talked about how you shouldn't wait for inspiration to push your writing along. It would be a bit hard to get anywhere as a writer if that's all you did. And I don't want you to feel like I'm contradicting myself by writing this current article. The reason I say that is because this time I'm going to write about how it's perfectly okay to take it easy with your writing.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with not being an aggressive writer. You don't have to finish a chapter a week. You don't have to finish a chapter a month or even in a year. You can go at any pace that works for you. You don't need to write for other people or at their pace. Write for your own enjoyment and take however much time you like to do it. That can mean you churn out a chapter a day, every day of the week. Or maybe you don't write two words in a month. Either way is perfectly alright.
Now, don't forget, you should't depend entirely on inspiration. You have to rely on your own mind, you accumulated knowledge, and also your characters in order to keep your story going. Inspiration isn't a constant companion. It's a bit of a fair-weather friend. It's pretty unreliable.
And I won't pretend to know everything about writing. Far from it. I'm always having to learn new things about it. I only know what works for me and what my own experience has taught me. You can listen to people give you writing advice 24/7, but it may not help you. Every writer has to figure out what works for them. It's not a math problem. There isn't a trade and true process or formula that works 100% of the time.
Whereas with my last article I pushed for you to keep moving, with this one, I'm reminding you there's nothing wrong with being a bit more laid back. Being a slow writer doesn't mean you aren't serious about writing. It doesn't mean you aren't a real writer. It doesn't mean you don't have a serious commitment to the craft. You're a real writer if you WRITE. That's all you've got to do.
Also, it's perfectly okay to put your writing on pause for a while and spend your extra time on a TV show instead. Watch the whole thing, if you like, without ever staring at that frightening blank page in your notebook or computer.
Maybe you just feel like reading a book. Well, by all means, read the book! Even if you're a serious writer, it doesn't have to consume your whole world and every one of your free moments. I've tried that, and it burns me out pretty quickly. Trying to do so much all the time might kill your motivation and maybe even your story.
Plus, maybe the TV show and the book will help your writing move along. You might think you're being completely unproductive, but there's a pretty good chance that it'll help with your creative process. I know it does for me.
So here's what I'll leave you with. If you want to push along, then do it! If you want to take it easy, do it! There is nothing wrong with either one. Don't force yourself to operate as a writer on terms that don't work for you. You'll do great!
Happy writing!
