Throw out the Playbook: Why Traditional Writing Rules May Not Work for You

Have you ever picked up a writing book to be told how to write and thought—that’s not going to work for me?

In Stephen King’s memoir writing advice book, he proclaims that he writes 2,000 words a day and that every writer needs to have their own word count goal. In Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott claims that writers need to write every day. The key to creativity, according to The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, is to write three free-flowing journal pages a day.

A glance at WriterTube will tell you all the ways you need to write to be successful. A look on Instagram will show you videos of a day in the life of a writer, telling you how they have been successful. Wherever you go, there are writers happy to tell you the rules you need to follow to be a successful writer.

None of these take into account individual differences, such as neurodiversity, family obligations, socioeconomic status, or cultural background. The truth is … there is no one way to write. What matters is focusing on and improving your craft. The process to get there is as flexible as you need it to be.

For my first novel, In-Between, I wrote it in fragments whenever I could catch a free moment. A good portion of it was written while my daughter was going through a mental health crisis. I had a notebook that I would pull out in waiting rooms, sitting in the car, and eventually one night a week at a coffee shop when she was down to once-a-week outpatient care.

It took me years to write the first draft of that book. Then it took me even more to edit it and get it ready to be published. In the end, all that mattered was perseverance. I kept working at it. And then one day I was holding my book in my hand.

Much of the advice you will read is given by writers who have written more than one book. The traditionally published authors are entrenched in a publishing model that may not suit you. They often make a living off their writing, and no longer have to worry about grinding another full-time job.

After fourteen books, my process is very different from the stolen moments that crafted my first book. While I can share the craft that I have learned along the way, it would be a disservice to claim that how I write my books now, as a full-time indie author, is how you should write yours—wherever you are on your author journey.

The truth is that there are no set rules on how to get a novel finished. Throw out the playbook that they try to thrust at you. Find one that works for you. If you have chronic illness, then take breaks when needed. Or if you are autistic, then you may go on a three-day writing binge and then crash for a week. Perhaps you are a caregiver, like I was during my first novel, and you are also writing in stolen moments.

If you can wake up an hour early or stay up an hour later to write, that is fantastic. Perhaps a word count goal or a time goal will work for you. Your story may come together typing on your phone on your commute to and from your day job. What matters is finding a way that works for you to tell your story.

What matters is that you keep going.