Consistency

One of the things I learned when I started writing seriously was that the key to success isn't brilliance or creativity; it's consistency. Consistently writing something daily, whether it be a quick short story or a chapter of a novel, was the only way to succeed. And for over a year, I did that. Unfortunately, since we moved, I have not been anywhere close to consistent. In fact, I've gone months without even posting on this blog. So it very much feels like I'm starting over.

The good news is that I have started writing again; another Cameron Vail mystery. It's only just started, and time pressures mean I don't have the luxury of having a couple of hours uninterrupted every night to work on it. But that doesn't mean I can't put in some effort every day, even if it's only fifteen or twenty minutes. Again, consistency is the key.

The idea of 'waiting for inspiration' has killed more writing careers than anything else. I know it; I've read words to that effect dozens of times. But it's still a matter of planting your butt in the seat and typing, without all the distractions that are so easy to find today. Put on a YouTube video for background music? Before long you're watching other things, and jumping around to whatever distracts you from doing the actual writing.

So, how to maintain consistency? Again, it's just a matter of committing to do something every day. Even if it's just a few minutes. Eventually, more time will be available, and there will be some days where hours will open up for uninterrupted writing. But in the meantime, being consistent in the little things will make a big difference. Writing a thousand words a day means a novel can be finished in two months or less. Two thousand words? A book a month. That's consistency, and that's the goal.

Let's see if I can get back on track.