How to Write Everyday

I’ve had some people ask me who are just starting out how to go about writing a story. I’m not claiming to be an expert on the subject, however I will tell you what’s worked for me. In no particular order…

Write everyday. Every. Single. Day. Writing is fun, but it’s also work. This means you must write when you don’t feel like it. Operate with a gun to the head mentality to get it done. I write on vacation, when traveling during holidays. I’ll occasionally grant myself a day off if I’ve performed well all week, but only one. Start with a small daily word count to hit everyday. I’d suggest with 500 words. You do not get to sleep, eat, until you’ve hit 500 words everyday. If you’re serious about writing you’ll get it done. Then that will become easy…up to 750 words, 1000, 1250, 1500…etc. You’ll find a point at which the words start going down hill fast and you’ll need to recharge. Some people can manage 5,000 words a day. With a full time job I manage 1500 words a day. I’ve heard that Stephen King writes 2000 a day.
Have a plot. Plotting sucks because it’s hard work. You actually need to, you know, THINK about shit. Thinking is hard work, that’s why so few people do it. When you have a plot you know where you’re going. The common objection I’ve heard is that having a plot locks you into a rigid set of ideas. The thing with plotting is that you can write a plot, but it leave it sort of loose, or sewn up tight. The difference is like change floating around in your pockets or change wrapped up tight in a coin wrapper. If you make the plot loose (leave out how you’ll sort out the details) it allows you room to “pants” as the pansters say. What this means is it gives you wiggle room for the characters to do unexpected things, which they invariably will.
Read in your genre everyday, but don’t use reading a method of procrastination to avoid writing.
Get started writing today. Don’t wait for the perfect time because it will never come. The time to start is now. Any other bullshit you’re doing is just mental masturbation (you’re only fucking yourself out of your dream of being a writer!)
Finally, study the craft of writing. Writing is a skill that must be honed and developed.

Here are my favorite writing craft books:

Writing Active Hooks Book 1: Action, Emotion, Surprise and More

2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love

Write Better, Faster: How To Triple Your Writing Speed and Write More Every Day (Growth Hacking For Storytellers #1)

Fiction Unboxed: How Two Authors Wrote and Published a Book in 30 Days, From Scratch, In Front of the World (The Smarter Artist) (Volume 2) Paperback November 20, 2014

Here’s the Gun To The Head “Motivational Video”

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