When the thought of writing feels overwhelming, it’s because you need to develop a writing routine.
Watch my video below, or read the post, to find out why a writing routine is necessary.
Hello my lovely writers!
When you think about writing your book, often you’ll be thinking about the finished product, which is your book on the book shelf or in the store. When you’re thinking about that level of project and the amount of work involved, it can feel overwhelming to the point of analysis paralysis.
When the thought of writing feels overwhelming
It all feels too much. There’s too many things to take in and you don’t know where to start, let alone how to carry on to the finish line.
That’s why it’s important to come back to your work regularly. You’ll hear people talk about writing with consistency, building a writing routine and having a writing habit. You might be rolling your eyes, thinking, I’ve heard this so many times, but you’re not doing it and that’s why the writing process can feel big, daunting and scary.
It’s because you’re taking big chunks of time away from your work so, if you’re anything like I used to be, you forget what’s happening in your book. I would forget characters’ names and everything about the story. That meant, when I came to my desk or my notepad, I’d have to read back through so much to remind myself what was going on, by which time, I would have run out of the time I had allocated for my writing and had to go off and do something else.
I’d wasted valuable time that could have been spent writing new content and getting the story on the page.
You need consistency, habit and routine
That is one of the reasons why consistency, habit and routine – while it doesn’t sound glamorous or like the romantic, artistic writing life we want and see in our imaginations – is the work of being a writer. That is what it takes to get the words down on the page, even when you don’t feel like it. You need to step up to the plate, to the page, even for just fifteen minutes and get some words down.
It’s by doing that consistently and regularly, that you get to the end of the draft. You then get to the end of the revision, the second revision, the third revision – however many revisions you need – until you do get to that glamorous, exciting part where you find the agent and the book gets published, or you publish the book, whatever your chosen path is.
Then you can take a breath and bask in the glory of getting that work out into the public. Then you get to feel proud of the work you’ve put in because you know how hard you worked on that project. Then you can enjoy the glory that comes at the end, the bits you see on social media or on TV when writers come on and promote their books.
Those writers are going through what you’re going through now, which is getting that routine going, being consistent with it and putting in the hard work of being a writer. Once you’ve done that, then you get the excitement of publication and then you get to lap up all the fun of the fair.
A writing routine may not be sexy but it’s necessary.
Emma xx
Emma Dhesi
Emma Dhesi is a Certified Author Accelerator Book Coach and bestselling author who helps writers let go of perfectionism, self-doubt and writer's block through her signature programme, Unlock Your Creative Block.
She is the host of the YouTube Channel, Emma Dhesi, where she interviews debut and experienced authors alike.
Through her 1:1 coaching programme, Emma helps new authors start and finish their first novel.
Emma provides personal written feedback on their pages and guides them through the emotional rollercoaster that is writing a novel!
