Are you ready to write? Not in the mood? Fighting to deal with your own setting? Sometimes writing feels like a mystical art. You have to find the perfect balance of coffee, lighting, plushy furniture, desk height, and general atmosphere before the words will gather on the page. In truth, this is a lie. Waiting for that perfect setting is actually one of the worst things you can do as a writer.
You Can’t Do It All in One Sitting
Waiting for the perfect moment to write stems from a misconception. It’s like waiting for inspiration. The delusion is that you’ll sit down and create a book in just one or two magical sittings. The truth is: you won’t. In fact, unless you’re writing an extremely short children’s book, it’s actually impossible. Waiting for these perfect moments just steals time away from your work, and writing is definitely work. If you want to write, you can’t wait for the ideal moment, because the ideal moments will never be enough.
Build a Scheduled Writing Time
The perfect time to write is a regular time. Finding a regular time that makes it easier to compose may help you overcome your mental obstacles. It will certainly help you actually – you know – write more. To get started, consider successful writing times you’ve enjoyed before. Do you write better in the morning or the evening? Is there a little ritual, like making tea, which helps you focus? Figure out how much time you can dedicate to your craft on a daily or weekly basis. Then dedicate specific hours, times of day, etc. Most importantly, spend those hours with your butt in a chair and your fingers holding a pen or moving over a keyboard. The more you force yourself to sit and work, the easier that work will become. You may never feel like every day is a perfect writing day, but you’ll find words flow and plots develop with much greater ease.
Recognize Your “Perfect Conditions” for What They Are
Ultimately, waiting for perfect writing conditions has nothing to do with your environment. It’s all about what’s going on inside your head. Waiting for perfect exterior conditions to change your state of mind is impractical and unreliable. Really, it’s just another form of procrastination. We all have off days, and sitting down to do something that doesn’t leave you glowing the same way a Hollywood montage implies it should doesn’t sound great. The truth is, writing is hard. It’s worth it, though. Keep in mind that waiting for a magically perfect moment to sit down and type an error-free draft of the next bestseller is just a fantasy. Maybe you are writing a bestseller. It takes time, though, and you’ll definitely have some editing to worry about later. You’ll never know, however, if you don’t give your book the time and attention it requires.
No one masters a craft after just a few hours at a desk. You must write regularly, even if you don’t have much time or energy. That’s how you make a book. Perfect, golden light won’t usually filter through your window, if your writing space has a window at all. You often won’t feel like writing, but the thing about authors is that they can still write, even if they aren’t “inspired.”
