The old adage among writers is, “writer’s write.” But I want to add a new adage for those struggling today: “the more I write, the more I write.”

It seems kind of self-explanatory and intuitive but there are stretches when I feel a little discouraged, frustrated, or out of sorts where I stop writing.

The old adage is a bit reproachful for an aspiring writer who may have “lost his words.” For the writer who is doubting herself, she might feel like a fraud thinking, I was never really a writer.

That is why I am submitting a new axiom:

The more I write, the more I write.

Writing is a joy but also a discipline. It takes time and effort. You need to continue to work at it and practice it regularly. If you don’t feel like writing or working on your WIP, choose something completely out of your normal routine and just write. Write an essay. Write a short story. Write flash fiction. Write a poem in a poetic form that you’ve never tried before. Keep a journal and write down your plans or goals for the day and then put together the steps to achieve the goal.

It is my experience that the more often I write, the more I stick with it and continue to write. Some days the first poem or paragraph feels like a slog to get past rather than something inspiring. So be it. At the end of the day, that paragraph might be the one you toss or re-work later.

Once you get your mind and juices flowing, then it seems like they keep going. It becomes a cyclical process of writing and then writing even more.

So, the next time you get ‘stuck’ just remember: the more I write, the more I write. 😉

– Jason