At the end of every workshop I have my students write down their writing schedule for the next six or eight weeks, depending on how long the course has been. If you think of your writing schedule as a long, never ending march into time, it can seem daunting. But if you think, okay, for x number of weeks I’m going to write every day for x hours (or minutes) it becomes do-able. Getting started writing can be a stroll, not a marathon. But it does need to be disciplined, and not just something you do when you’re inspired. Getting inspired in order to write is like thinking all you need for marriage is lust. Like marriage or any long term relationship, dailyness is required for writing. Also devotion, patience, and determination.

To Do: Set yourself a goal for the next month, the next four weeks. An essay? A first chapter of a novel or memoir? Or just starting a journal? Realistically, what time do you have to write? Write it down on your calendar. Even if it’s fifteen minutes. Make a contract with yourself.