Writing When You Don't Want To

I hate exercise.

There, I’ve said it. For years, I was a runner. I did the 10K thing, even a Half Marathon.

There was a lot I didn’t like about it. Everything hurt while I was getting in shape. Every mile of the race, especially the last one, was not fun, often downright awful.

I did like the endorphin high, the feeling of being in the zone, when your brain disconnects and your body goes on autopilot.

And I liked how I felt when it was all over. Kinda like the days when you drank too much Boone’s Farm and puked it back up. It sure felt good when you got it out of your system.

I sometimes feel that way about writing.


I have a goal of 5,000 words per day. If I’m in novel mode, that’s what I write. If not, I’m writing other stuff, including things like this blog, until I feel like I’ve got the 5K done.

The muse talks when she wants to. Not when I need her to. And that’s a royal pain. She wakes me up at 2am, hits me when I’m driving, starts singing when I’m out with my wife on date night.

I have to listen and write when she is awake. But I don’t always do it. Brooke always gets first attention when we are out together. And sometimes I’m just too damn tired to pull my butt out of bed and put it in front of this keyboard.

But I try to keep at it.

One of the joys of the craft is when the story is flowing through you and out of your fingers, onto the screen as fast as you can type it. There is no better feeling than being in the zone.

But a lot of days, you aren’t. On those days, you have to write anyway.

This profession is like any other. We have to deliver value every day. Or we don’t get to keep the gig.

Just like cardio, figuring out how to do it on the days when you don’t feel like it will determine whether or not you get stronger, think more clearly, and get the job done.

It sucks. But that’s the not so secret secret. Feel the pain.. and do it anyway.