Introduction: How to Write Every Day
In 2020, I had a dream to start writing a story. So in the wake of Covid-19, I sat at my desk and wrote a terrible short story based on my D&D group. Now two years later, I’ve written two books (unpublished), a novella, and several short stories. This drive for writing has also landed me excellent jobs! So, how to write every day?
The thing was, I am not a traditionally trained writer, even if I have been writing all my life. Yet, putting my pen to paper was liberating, and by simply doing it, I slowly got better and learned the craft.
But to reach that stage of writing, I had to be honest with myself and turn writing into a daily habit. To do this, I set the task of writing 2,000 words daily. It was one thing to say I would do something, but it took several months before I was at the stage writing became just as natural as drinking a coffee in the morning.
So here I will share some tips as a budding fantasy writer to give you a guide on how to write every day through lessons from writing fantasy stories.
Writing Every Day Tip 1: Set Time Aside Each Day to Write
If you decide to write every day, you’ll be surprised how quickly the numbers grow, even if it just starts as ten minutes here or there. Just half an hour adds up to almost four hours in a week! If you dedicate an hour, that’s seven hours a week.
You don’t need to sit and write the whole time; the task can be broken up during quiet times as you have to wait for other jobs to be completed, such as the kettle boiling or waiting for an appointment. However, I find bringing a laptop or notebook to work helps, and I try to get an hour of writing done during my break.
If these options don’t work, it could be an hour before sunrise or an hour before bed. You should be flexible at first, and when you find a time, try to be consistent with your writing, as this will allow you to wax it into a habit.
Writing Every Day Tip 2: Don’t Wait for the Inspiration to Strike to Start Writing
The reality of being a writer in the ‘real world is that writers do not write just when they are struck by inspiration. That’s probably why a lot of us never complete or start writing projects because we are waiting for the insatiable drive to create to draw us into our pen scribbling labours. That being said, often, we need to force ourselves to write at times, and once the words start, the creative flow soon follows. However, if you find it a struggle some days, just pick it up again tomorrow.
Writing Every Day Tip 3: Keep A Writing Diary of Your Story Progress
The best way to track writing goals is to keep a diary of your progress. How so? You can check it periodically to see if you need to increase your word count if you feel your process is not to your liking. In addition, these records are essential for writers with tight deadlines. Therefore, seeing how much work you’ve put in will inspire you to trek ahead.
Writing Every Day Tip 4: Aim for a Daily Word or Page Goal
A simple daily goal for a writer to work towards could be as simple as writing a certain number of words, a page, or a scene. The 2,000-word goal is the most suggested goal as you can track it in easter metrics and see the numbers slowly rising every day. However, if those many words are too daunting, you can start small and build up.
Writing Every Day Tip 5: Do Research on How Other Fantasy Writers Write
One of the best 21st-century fantasy authors is undoubtedly Brandon Sanderson, and much of what I’ve learnt about the craft came from his free YouTube tutorials in 2020. He outlines how he crafts brilliant characters and complex fantasy words and plots. The best way to write each day is to find inspiration in these amazing people and use their methods to find ways that work for you. Because, believe it or not, there is no ‘right way’ to do writing.
Writing Every Day Tip 6: Don’t be Hard on Yourself
I’ve found that the most critical lesson from writing fantasy stories daily is not to worry about not writing enough or making enough progress. Who cares if you don’t want to write for a week, as long as you’re happy doing what you’re doing and see yourself eventually completing this writing project! You can even work on several if you want to take a break.
Enjoy the process of writing a book and relish in the birth of characters, worlds and plots just from the power of a pen or keyboard. However, you should focus on the words and not on whether or not you’ll ever finish or find a publisher. Worrying too much about a book’s future will only be detrimental to your goal of writing every day.
Writing Every Day Tip 7: Leave the Editing Until Later
The worst thing you can do is try and edit whilst you write, as more often than not, you’ll get into a loop of editing and never make much progress finishing the first draft of a novel. I find that waiting until you’ve completed a rough first draft and coming back to it a month later is the ideal time to edit my work. Then, I’ll be able to look at the whole piece critically and not waste as much time editing a piece again and again.
Final Remarks: Lessons from Writing Fantasy Stories
I crafted this guide to offer advice on how to write every day based on the lessons I’ve learnt from writing fantasy stories. In all honesty, this advice can be provided to any type of writing and genre. So I hope it helped give those questioning a chance to see how they can start this exciting journey as I did in 2020.
Keep writing, creating and fantasising!
ARTHUR GRAINGER 
Leave a Reply