Hi friends,
I discovered today that some people actually respond to emails in the order in which they come in, and this has blown my mind.
I thought it was a normal thing to open an email, read it, say “I’ll respond to this later,” then do the same for all the other emails, repeatedly, for three weeks in a row. Then, after the Inbox is so full that you have to, must, need to get through the emails, you pick the ones you know will require short answers (because you’ve read them thirty times), and clear them in half an hour.
No? Not everyone does this? There are actually some people who respond to emails as they come in? In the order they came in?
What a world.
(Maybe I’ll try this; see if it makes a difference in how quickly I can respond.)
Anyway, I ran some numbers and it turns out I’ve written 750 words a day on average so far this year. Which is half of what I’d have liked it to be, but still extremely respectable. I have continued writing most days even between searching for agents, editing a book, and revising my proposal, and I feel very proud of this.
I’ve been very clear in my mind that I want to continue putting new words on the page, no matter what else is going on in my life and work. Whether I’m editing, building a platform, interviewing agents, or freaking out about potential offers, I’m always writing. Near daily, if not daily.
Writing is my happy place and if I’m not writing routinely, I feel like I lose something (usually my mental health). Plus, the only way to build a body of work is to actually write it into creation. (I wrote 4,570 words today.)
So, how do you write when you’ve got other things on the go, especially if you’re editing, freelancing, or doing something else on the side?
1. Consider whether you really want to. Not everyone needs to write every day. I do because I enjoy it, it has mental health benefits for me, and professionally-speaking, it is something that keeps me creating. However, some writers are better off writing at a slower pace or taking breaks in between projects.
2. Consider whether you can. If you’re in the middle of revising your novel and writing new things would derail that process, then don’t do it. Again, everyone’s mind works differently, and not everyone can handle working on several different projects at once. There is no requirement that you must.
But if you can and want to?
3. Commit. It might even just be a 10-minute daily sprint, but commit to putting something to paper every day.
4. Give yourself deadlines. For me, these emails are a great way to keep writing. They feel easy and effortless, they get me into motion most days, and they’re helping me build up a body of work. By giving myself this daily deadline, I ensure that I show up most days.
5. Experiment with different kinds of writing. Sometimes you’ll write novels, sometimes you’ll write freelance pieces, sometimes you’ll write newsletters and blog posts. It’s all still creative work; it’s all still writing.
6. Don’t do it because you should or have to, do it because it’s fun.
Cheers,
Natasha