"Just write!"

Hello again!

This week I thought I'd share my take on the most obvious, unpopular piece of writing advice ever: 

"Just sit down and write."

I know this isn't easy for anyone, and being dyslexic myself, I understand that this might be especially hard for anyone who is Neurodiverse. 

But unfortunately, I've also found that it is the only way to actually finish a book. I have spent endless hours chasing the muse, worrying about exact phrasing, and procrastinating. I've let the imposter syndrome win a thousand times. But none of that has ever helped me finish a book.

So far, I've written four books (and somewhere between a third and a half of my WIP) and in all that time, I've learned that you can't control the muse, and you can't always silence the imposter syndrome, but you can choose to sit down and write. 

But... this is the real world, and there will be times when you won't be able to focus; when your head hurts, and you just can't manage to get anything good down, and it is okay to take days off. 

That said, it is far too easy to say "Oh, not today" whenever you don't feel like forcing yourself to write, and I find that every time I do that, it gets easier to do it next time. So, as with everything else, balance is needed.

DO take time to write, even when you don't feel like it. BUT if it feels like torture to go on, if every word is harming your mental health, then please, take a day off. Writing is important, your story is important, but your mental health is more important.

Have a great day, and keep writing!