A Rant On Three Writing Tenets

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Last month I wrote about my joy of breaking a certain writing rule. Today I don’t exactly have joy to share, more like irritation to let loose. And it kind of all started when I read this article.

I’ve been a member of the writing community long enough to hear a few things repeated, and to have developed a few pet peeves when it comes to them. There are three writing tenets in particular guaranteed to set my teeth to grinding: “Real writers write every day.” “Everyone has 30 minutes a day.” “Serious writers write before doing anything else.”

I call bullshit.

“Real writers write every day.” I can’t write every single day. I can’t. I’m not a creature who can sit down and write a sentence for a piece I’m working on and be satisfied that I wrote for that day. If I’m going to work on something, I want at minimum 30 minutes to do it so that I can actually add to my story.

I’m a binger. I’d rather add a lot in sporadic goes than a little bit in multiple goes. Furthermore, I need to be in a specific head space when I write, a headspace dependent on the particular story’s mood, which requires time and energy to enter. I’m lucky if I have one of those things on any given day. More often than not I’m mentally drained after work. Then there are the days where life hits me hard. They’re never good writing days.

If you’re the opposite of me, I’m happy for you. Honestly. Process is absolutely individual. I envy your ability to open your notebook or file each day and add to it diligently. I myself practice a different kind of diligence.

“Everyone has 30 minutes a day.” Yup. I definitely have 30 minutes a day, every day. But in those 30 minutes I’m either cleaning, cooking, feeding cats, grooming cats, playing with cats, cleaning up after cats, going to the grocery store, helping one of my parents, maybe helping a friend, doing dishes, working on the blog, eating, sleeping, exercising, socializing, playing mechanic, playing computer technician, driving, doing laundry, winding down –the bloody list goes on. I work 30 hours a week on top of all that and anything else life decides to throw at me. The people and animals in my life need attention too.

There is always something that has to be done, and those around me pick up the slack enough as it is. Bedsides the fact that I am naturally low energy and I have allergies and anxiety that zap any excess I might have.

Other than the weekends that I leave empty and my two shorter work days, my life is not abundant with extra 30 minutes here and there. The rest of my life can’t be neglected to make room for them. Yes, I take advantage when I can, but those moments are rare and far between.

I am working on finder a better balance but things haven’t made that easy. But I’m still trying.

“Serious writers write before doing anything else.” I mentioned my low energy and non-neglectables, but I haven’t yet mentioned that I am not a morning person. I do not arise from slumber bright eyed and bushy tailed because I am a horrible sleeper. I regularly suffer from insomnia and more often than not from terribly restless sleep that leaves me more tired when I have to haul myself out of bed than when I fall into it. The worst part of my day is getting up. But I do it.

What’s more, writing zaps all of my mental energy. My physical energy is pretty useless when I can’t think straight.

I’d love to be one of those people who gets up every day at 6 a.m., brews a pot of coffee, writes until 8, and then gets ready for the day ahead. That will never be me, and I’m learning to live with that.

I work and I tackle the things that must be done before I sit down to write. One, so that I don’t have to watch the clock and make sure I leave enough time for the other things. Two, so that I can totally immerse myself in my writing without distraction because the rest is done. I’m a better writer when I know my afternoon and evening only need to be filled with the craft.

That about sums up my rant. I know it sounds like a collection of excuses, but it’s not. It has taken me a long time to get over the guilt these three writing tenets have inflicted on me for years. And I’m a little resentful. If you do –and can– follow them, all the power to you. They don’t fit into my lived experience and I’m doing (relatively) fine without them.

I’m still a real, serious writer intent on maximizing the time I manage to carve out on a weekly basis. I’m still learning, still growing, still finding out what does and doesn’t work for me.

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