WRITERS WELCOME
  • Home
  • Blog
  • BOOKS
  • VIDEOS

Blogger?  Creative Writer?  Student?

A blog about writing
writers need a nudge, a bit of guidance, and an encouraging word from time to time
subscribe to the writer's blog

When it’s OK Not to Write

4/6/2020

 
When it's OK not to write
For the last 20 years, I have taught writing. Over this time, I have talked a lot about the writing process, a series of steps writers take to create a piece of writing in a manageable amount of time. It generally follows these steps: brainstorm, outline, draft, edit, and publish. 
 
The writing process can help a person get from an idea to a completed essay, but it doesn’t take a writer through the day-to-day work of being a writer. 

When it's OK not to write
Writers do a lot more than follow a series of super-organized steps to polish an essay. We live our lives, we go to work, we find love, we appreciate the outdoors, we fall down, and we strive to achieve life goals. In between all of these life events, we write. 
 
But what happens when life falls apart? What happens when we don’t feel like writing? How about when we have nothing to say? What about those days when the words aren’t coming to us, when we have the dreaded "writer's block"? What do we do then? 

Subscribe to the Writer's List

Get the writer's blog delivered to your email. Attain an effortless writing process with tips and tricks that support your love of writing.

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit
I think there is a writer’s cycle that more closely mimics the reality of the writing life. It goes something like this:

First, you collect information. This includes reading, observing, and engaging with life. 
 
Next, you practice. This includes attending classes, writing in a writer’s notebook, and doing practice prompts. 
 
Finally, you write, edit, rewrite, and revise each piece until it is publishable. 
When it's OK not to write
In the years that I have worked with writers, I have heard many people disappointed at themselves for not writing all the time. I actually think not writing at times is OK. It's part of the greater process that writers go through. 
 
We don’t always have something to say. We don’t always have something worthy of a story or an essay. But we do always have a place within the writer’s cycle, and we can engage wholeheartedly with another part of the process. 
 
Reading hones our writing skills. It puts us in touch with professional writers, it gives us published pieces to evaluate and understand, and it connects us to literary works. Observing and engaging with life allows us opportunities to see situations from different viewpoints, think about how characters would react in different scenarios, and better connect our writing to how real people interact. 
When it's OK not to write
As writers, we improve through practice. Every time we take a class, we learn something new. Every time we drop an idea in our writers’ notebooks or write a practice prompt, we play with ideas without feeling obligated to complete a story for a publication. 
 
Once we have collected and practiced, we write. And in those moments when we have something to say, on those days that the words are flowing and the story is laid out before us, we can collect our thoughts on paper. Those are the situations where we can write, edit, and revise until we produce quality writing that connects to other people, which speaks to our readers. 
 
So, if today the words aren’t coming to you, read a book. If you don’t feel inspired to write, go out and observe the world. If you feel cooped up or bored or lonely, take a writing class and do some practice prompts. And when the words have built up in your creative bank, you will be ready to write. 

Related Blog Posts

You Gotta Love the Grind to Write
Do you want people to support your writing?
Writers don't need resolutions. We need goals.

    About the Site

    Welcome, Writers!  
    ​ODI seeks to provide emerging writers with useful resources to get your writing moving forward.  

    Archives

    September 2023
    August 2023
    March 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    August 2015

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • Blog
  • BOOKS
  • VIDEOS