The Art of Long-Form: How to Write Everyday

Okay, we’re a week into November, which means I’ve officially started talking to myself in various character voices, and my fingers have begun twitching involuntarily (wait, is sleep-typing a thing?).

But jokes aside: the writing fatigue is real, and if you’re feeling it too, you’re not alone.

In the spirit of the month, I’ve taken the liberty of putting together a little pep talk—complete with a few of my favorite writing tips—to help push us over the hump.

Onward and upward my pen-wielding friends!

Writing demands that the writer be able to manage his or her moods… to pull out the feelings that he or she has nurtured to write the right scene at the right moment.

Orhan Pamuk

Probably my favorite creative writing tip of all time—as Pamuk explains, the trick to writing consistently isn't discipline as much as awareness. Writing effectively is about being aware of your mood, and channeling it into the writing process.

If you write everyday (and you absolutely should! Especially if you're going for the full 50k marathon this month), your moods will change. Some days you'll wake up in full romantic mode—everything's in soft focus, your characters are finally going to kiss. Perfect time to write that sweeping reunion scene.

Other days, you're sharp, analytical; you're itching to engineer a complex timeline, or tease out a mysterious subplot.

When you settle in to write, check in with yourself to gauge your mood: what's bubbling up today? (If the answer is "love is dead and everything is meaningless" maybe best to leave the romantic confession scene for another day.)

When in doubt, go with the current.

You’ve done it. You’ve made it to your desk, coffee in hand. You open your document, ready to make magic. "1,500 words" you tell yourself: an honorable goal indeed!

Fingers on keyboard now.

Ready…

steady…

Nope, nothing.

We’ve all been there. For whatever reason, the words just aren’t flowing (I blame the Gods!). The only thing that comes to mind is a silly jingle, or your grocery list. What’s to be done?

Hear me out: write it down. Write down the jingle. Then write about what you had for lunch. Then write about that cute guy you saw on the street, etc, etc. Before you know it, you might just come out with a thoughtful sentence.

In other words, write through the block. Sure, some of it will be rubbish—but some of it might be gold.

Sometimes you have to rid your mind of the clutter to let the muses in, which leads me to my next point…

At its core, writing is a playful activity (even when we dealing with the serious stuff!).

Don’t get me wrong: outlines are great, and structure important. But to get from outline to written results involves a special ingredient—namely, play, spontaneity, imagination, call it what you will.

In a previous post, I wrote about the importance of connecting with our work as writers. Another way of framing this is: how do we connect with this source of play (or inspiration) that guides our writing? In still other words: what’s your muse?

A muse is whatever stirs you to create—the thing that makes your brain light up and your fingers itch on the keyboard. Maybe its a beautiful memory, or a beautiful person; maybe it's something strange or tragic, sublime or puzzling. It could be a half-forgotten dream, a line from a song, a single scene from a film you watched last year that's still living in your head, rent-free.

Maybe it's your favorite OC—the one who's been glaring at your from the corner of your imagination for months, waiting for the next line. Or a slow-burn ship that won't leave you alone. Perhaps it's a question you can't stop turning over, a moment you wish you could rewrite.

Whatever your muse may be, harness it this month. Let it follow you around, maybe even haunt you a little—that’s how stories grow.

Ever considered bringing someone in on your stellar idea? Perhaps you’ve got a knack for drawing scenes, but you struggle with plot. Maybe you just want someone who matches your enthusiasm and can fire you up. Why not give it a shot?

Prefer to work alone? Great! But don’t deny yourself the benefits of a community! In moments of doubt or frustration, receiving words of support (from even just one person) can be the difference between giving up and carrying on.

As the saying goes, writing is a marathon, not a sprint. If we’re in this for the long run, we’re gonna need a person or two to cheer us on. Whether its bringing on a co-writer, or just sharing your writing with a friend or peer, collaborating is how we build support and accountability.

If you’re hoping to connect with fellow writers, the Ellipsus Discord server is the perfect place to start!

Writing, like life, moves in phases: sometimes you're exploding with creative energy. Other times, it's a murky, cranky slogfest. The trick is not to fight the changes, but to stay in conversation with them.

No matter how the words come, they're yours, and they’re proof that you showed up.

Heed the call—keep showing up everyday; keep playing, experimenting, struggling, and listening to yourself. A long, sustained project will test your patience, but if you keep coming back, you're sure to end up somewhere new. Some days you might write like an actual god (or Pamuk); other days, you'll come out with a criminal mess of mixed metaphors and misplaced commas. Everything counts. Momentum means staying in motion, not stagnating for the dream of perfection.

Cheers to you, and all you’ve written this month—to the good and the not-so-good. Wherever you are in your journey, keep it up. I’ll see you in December, when I finally emerge from my hovel with—you betcha—a manuscript in hand.