HOW LONG AND WHEN SHOULD I WRITE
Writers tend to paint a picture in their minds of a long-suffering writer hard at work, tapping at the computer keys or bent over a notebook with a pen in hand, day in and day out, pouring their hearts and thoughts out, in an enclosed room.
I carried this picture in my mind for a long time and I am sure that some of you have done the same. However, we need to ask ourselves these questions:
• Is this the right way to go about writing?
• Isn’t this dangerous to our mental and physical health?
• Can we keep up with it?
Over the years, I have come to realise that when it comes to writing, there are no rules that apply to everyone. You, as a writer, are the one to determine what works best for you.
o You don’t have to write a thousand words a day to prove yourself.
o You don’t have to write every day.
o You don’t have to feel suffocated or under pressure to write.
Writers need to stop feeling like they are enslaved to writing. It should always remain a passion and nothing else. Except if you have a deadline, you don’t have to put yourself under any pressure. What is most important is how productive you are and the quality of your writing.
If writing only 200 words daily or 1000 words weekly means that your writing is more sophisticated, then stick to that routine. If it will take you longer to publish better work, then do so.
The world will remember you for how good your writing was and not how fast you published your book.
If you feel that you need to be disciplined with your schedule, then set up a writing schedule or get the help of an accountability officer which could be a fellow writing pal, a friend, or a relative.
Remember, there are no laid-down rules for this. You make your own rules. Choose what works best for you and not what someone else is doing, and you will be proud of your writing.
