“Write every day” is one of those common pieces of writing advice I wish I’d never believed. It’s a simple recommendation to follow in theory. And as an aspiring writer, it’s even easier to believe that writing every single day automatically increases your chances of getting published or somehow otherwise succeeding — whatever that looks like for you.
I’ve done a complete turnaround on this advice the further I’ve advanced in my career as a writer and editor. And honestly, venturing into adulthood made me realize pretty quickly that a lot of the advice I believed — and gave out — didn’t actually apply for most people dreaming of becoming writers while also living completely normal, often chaotic lives.
Realistically, trying to write every day will probably do you more harm than good. I unfortunately had to learn this lesson the hard way.
Burnout Isn’t a Myth or a Lame Excuse
Burnout — physical, mental, emotional — is real. And if you force yourself to work yourself past exhaustion every single day just to fulfill a misguided piece of writing advice, you’re putting yourself at more of a disadvantage than you think.
Writing is work, even if you genuinely enjoy doing it. It takes a lot of brain power to do it, which can affect your body and mind fairly quickly. If you don’t take days off to give yourself the rest you need, you’re going to find yourself struggling more and more to sit down and actually get your writing done.
Too Much Pressure Makes Writing Even More Challenging
Trying to write every day is almost as harmful as trying to exercise at full effort daily. It’s not going to last, and you’re going to hurt yourself. That’s all on top of putting unnecessary pressure on yourself to do something every day that you’d actually be much better off incorporating into your schedule like you do work (assuming you, unlike me, aren’t also prone to working too much in general).
A little bit of pressure is always good — pushing ourselves is how we achieve our goals. But if you push yourself to the point where skipping one day of writing makes you feel like a failure, you might consider taking a step back and asking yourself why you really feel the need to work so hard to be successful.
Consistency Is the Best Goal to Strive For
The common “write every day” advice is well-meaning, but usually misinterpreted. What this advice is really trying to get at is that making writing a habit — something you do consistently — is extremely important for success. But this does not mean you have to write seven days a week.
Right now, I make it a point to write at least three times a week. That’s what I put at the top of my planner at the start of each new week. This guarantees that I work on refining my skills as a writer — while also working on projects that are important to me — the same number of times each week. I have a goal to strive for, but it’s not going to exhaust or overwhelm me. It’s just enough to keep me focused on my writing goals without subjecting me to the level of pressure that used to destroy me.
Make writing part of your weekly schedule, but do
n’t overdo it. Start small and, over time, challenge yourself to write a little more. If you want to write every day, I obviously can’t stop you. Just don’t take the advice too literally.
Meg Dowell Writes 