Write EVERY Day?

Do you need to write every single day if you’re going to be a writer?

Let me ask a related question: Must you go to work every single day to consider yourself employed?

I really hope not! Personally, I value my “days off.” While I rarely get a day to do nothing, those days where I’m not at my usual job are golden. They give me opportunities to spend more time with family. They allow me to catch up on housework. Groceries are nice to have, you know?

At the same time, just because I take a day off, that doesn’t mean I don’t have a job. I still work, and that’s the normal way of things!

Still, if I take too many days off, I may well soon find myself unemployed!

For those who write and aim to for that writing to be more than “just” a hobby, who are aiming at publishing and being an author, you don’t need to write every day.

You just need to write most days.

A while back, I saw some great advice for writers: If your goal is publishing, your writing is a job. Treat it as such.

In other words, you don’t just write “when you have the time.” Let’s face it; anything you do “when you have the time” is rarely done at best. If writing is “only” a hobby, well, you may do it often and enjoy it, but it’ll likely stay right where it is right now.

But if you treat writing as a commitment, as a job, you’re going to put in the time necessary to actually get it done. You’ll set aside the time. Now, you may only put in fifteen minutes a day, but it’ll be fifteen minutes most days rather than an hour a month. The important thing is to set aside the time because, well, if you don’t, you won’t.

And if you treat it as a job, hopefully you’ll do your due diligence not just in the writing, but also in searching for a good place to publish that writing. On a blog? A self-published novel? Looking for a publisher or agent? Each one of those takes work. If you’re aiming to be an author, finishing your writing is the beginning of the journey.

But just like I hope you take days off from your day job, whether it’s a day a week or more, I hope you can get away from your writing regularly as well. Only for a day or two, mind you, but for a little bit! Do something to refresh the mind and the imagination. It’s ok!

You may think this is odd. If you read a lot of writing blogs or lists of tips, you’ll see most people tell you to write every day. Hey, if you can do that, go for it.

My approach works for me, though. I still produce writing. I still send out product to various publishers. I still grow in my craft.

But I also take a day or two off a week.

Works for me.

What about you? How do you schedule your writing time? Every single day? Six nights a week? Right away when you get up in the morning? What works for you?