Write Every Day by Sydney Salter

One of my favorite writing quotes comes from Anthony Trollope, "A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labors of a spasmodic Hercules." 

For many years I kept this quote on my desk, and I have watched my steady work outdo some of my more sporadic writing friends. Write every day is a common trope. And it results in finished stories.

The years that I participate in National Novel Writing Month, I do write every day. I see the advantage in keeping momentum going, not losing the threads in the story, and finishing the manuscript (that might be the biggest advantage!). NaNoWriMo also shows me that I can write while visiting family, making a Thanksgiving feast, and otherwise living my busy life. I can write every day.

But it's the writing rule that I break the most. 

I usually write three to five days a week. I skip Sundays. I go to the movies with my husband when he has a weekday off. I take my mom to doctor appointments. I indulge in a long phone call with one my grown up (and gone) daughters. I read a book written (and beautifully edited) by someone else. 

I find value in giving a story a bit of room. Sometimes my first idea isn't my best idea. All year I've been postponing revisions on a big story. I jammed an unrealistic plot point into the story, and it doesn't work. All the writing I did to make this plot point work simply did not work. It's clunky and obvious. Now I'm in for a big structural fix.  

Our imagination works all the time, and our stories often benefit from a bit of subconscious thinking and problem solving.

NaNoWriMo requires a daily writing commitment, and there's so much value in that process, but I don't think anyone should scold themselves for breaking the write every day rule. 

That said, happy writing to all of you Wrimos this year!