It never ceases to surprise me when people say they don’t have time to write every day. But I call BS on that. We all have time for things we want to do. And, as I’ve been discovering lately, it’s possible to write more than you ever thought you could, and it only takes a few minutes a day.
I recently read a book by Dorothea Brande, called “Becoming a Writer.” I bought the ebook for only 99c and it’s pure gold. Dorothea is a writer of old, so she writes very directly. This particular book was first published in 1935 and continues to sell, which demonstrates the enduring popularity of her work.
Anyway, in the book, Dorothea says that to become a writer, you should write for one hour on rising every day, and at the same time, make a daily appointment with yourself to write for 15 minutes at the same time every day. And you must keep to that appointment no matter what.
She states that it’s crucial to keep to the 15-minute appointment. So, for instance, if you make an appointment with yourself to write at 4 p.m. every afternoon, then even if someone is talking to you at that time, walk away and go and do your writing.
She is so sure that she says, “If you fail repeatedly at this exercise, give up writing. Your resistance is actually greater than your desire to write, and you may as well find some other outlet for your energy early as late.”
Not long after reading (and taking) this advice, I did an online tarot card reading. The reading was just a general one that told me that after a time of one struggle after another, things are going to turn around for me, and in my life and career, things will be so good it will feel like it’s all too good to be true.
The website, https://www.free-tarot-reading.net/free, then offered me a free AI reading on a question I might have. So I asked it why I’ve not been doing much writing lately, and even when I do, I feel like I should be doing something else.
The reading was surprisingly accurate and detailed. I wasn’t expecting much, but it was quite an insightful response.
One thing that it did say was that I should start each morning with what it called a ’15-minute writing sunrise.’ That resonated completely with the advice I’d read in Dorothea Brande’s book.
The reading said, “Carve a non-negotiable, 15-minute writing sunrise each day - before emails, chores and others demands.” It also said to “Treat it like a meeting with your soul.”
So I took these two almost identical pieces of advice and pondered them for a while. The reading said that having the feeling of always thinking I should be doing something else is because I’m conflicted between discipline and desire. It said that productivity and passion aren’t rivals; they’re collaborators because discipline fuels creativity, and I should “surrender to the creative unknown.”
When I thought about it, I realised that it’s true. Creativity is the “unknown.” Even when I’m following a detailed outline, I still don’t know what I’m going to write until I write it. And sometimes I veer off an outline entirely as ideas keep jumping into my mind as I write.
Other things I do in a day are not “unknown.” I know exactly where they’ll lead. Meals get made and eaten, chores get done, and clothes get cleaned.
I’ve been practising the 15 minutes of writing every day (which sometimes - often- becomes an hour or much more), and one thing I’ve learned is that writing is a mindset. Writing daily and prioritising it helps me build a belief in myself as a writer, which has been lacking for a while.
Now, daily writing is back as a priority in my life, and I do it first before the rest of the day gets in the way. I sometimes write in the evening too because I find it a calming way to end the day.
Every day is different. Some days I write a lot. Other days I don’t. But because I know that I’m going to sit down every day, even if it’s only for 15 minutes, I don’t stress about it.
And I’m getting plenty of writing done.
It’s amazing what a difference a 15-minute promise can make.