Why the Tip to Write Every Day is Damaging

As an aspiring writer, I’ve often been told/ seen the tip floating around that, to become a professional writer, I have to write every day. While that may be true for some writers, I can’t do it. 

That’s right, you heard it first here, folks. Confession time: I just can’t be the writer who writes daily, which is a big deal for me to confess because I’ve been trying for years to be that person. I’m hoping that sharing my struggles with this idea might help others who are facing a similar wall in their writing journey. 

Holding myself to this standard of writing every day has been utterly exhausting. Trying to be someone who wakes up at 5 AM every morning to spend an hour of writing or someone who stays up way past bedtime just to sneak in those extra words made me an empty shell. Day after day I’d come home from work and beat myself up for not having written yet. I’d go to bed angry and disappointed, stressed out and sad.. It was terrible on my mental health and confidence. 

It spiraled me into a dark place where I wasn’t creating anything because I felt like such a failure after continuously not meeting this standard. It made writing stressful and exhausting, and it became a problem. 

Here’s what I learned after finally realizing that maybe it’s okay not to write every day. 

There is a difference in writing every day and spending quality time honing your craft and finishing your creative projects. There is a difference in forcing yourself to sit down at the computer when the bags underneath your eyes have bags and when you’re staring at the blank page with a well-rested spirit. There is a difference between forcing yourself to work and allowing your tired, over-worked brain to freakin’ relax. 

The difference, of course, is the quality of work you create. You want good quality work? Give yourself what you truly need first. 

It’s okay to spend the work week not writing at all and then to spend the weekend diving deep into your craft and enjoying the time within your worlds. It’s okay to spend your early mornings and late evenings taking care of yourself, resting, or enjoying the little spare time you have. It’s okay to pick your cats or your boyfriend or food instead of squeezing in that word count for the day.

Whatever you do and however you write, it’s good and okay.

It’s important, maybe even more important than writing and creativity itself, to remember to take care of yourself. Don’t let yourself go to a dark, sad place if you didn’t hit that word count today. Take a deep breath, remember writing every day may not be your path to your goals, and love yourself and your brain.

Above all, do what works best for you. Don’t feel conflicted if writing tips you encounter don’t apply to you. 

If I had the schedule where I could write every day, I would. But, maybe I wouldn’t. Maybe there would be days, in this reality where I was a professional writer, where all I could do would be take naps, watch Chopped, and cuddle with my cats. 

Say it with me, the writing tip that you MUST write every day to be a good writer is damaging. Frankly, anyone who says you must do one thing to become this one thing is damaging. One of the best parts about writing is how many diverse ways there are to get the job done. Let’s embrace that more. 

Do you agree with me? Do you think writing every day is essential to being a writer, or do you think that tip is stupid? Let me know in the comments down below! As always, I hope you have a  beautiful day. Check out the other parts of my website if you ever find yourself in need of writing, editing, or photo services.