Can you imagine a surgeon saying to a patient:
Neither of these things would ever happen.
But how many times have you metaphorically hung a sign on your door saying, “Bad Writing Day” and called it a day?
I bet you’ve done it more times than you’re able to count. I know I have.
But now let me ask you an even more important question:
On those “Bad Writing Days” when you threw in the towel, what did you do for the rest of that day?
Did you go for a long hike to clear your head?
Did you grab a coffee with a friend and reconnect?
Did you finally get to that project you’ve been meaning to get to?
Nope.
You went on social media, or some other time-sucking distraction, and you tortured yourself for not writing.
And you beat yourself up about it all that day, and the day after too.
Does this make any sense?
Nope.
And yet we do it all the time, myself included. Why?
Screenwriter William Goldman had this to say about the topic:
That’s true.
But it’s also true for a chef to say: “The easiest thing in the world to do is not make soup”.
Or for a ballerina to say: “The easiest thing in the world to do is not dance”.
Work is work.
So, as the owner of your business, ask yourself this:
Is it a smart strategy to allow my feelings to dictate whether I’m going to work today?
I’m sure the answer is no.
But if the business paradigm isn’t working for you, let’s look at it from a purely artistic perspective.
The best way to fight your bad writing day is to write anyway.
Seriously.
As a longtime screenwriter I can absolutely promise that if you start typing, and keep typing, the muses will visit you.
The muses like it when you try. Especially on your “bad writing days”.
Jeff Tweedy, a songwriter I admire, said this about his writing process:
So pick up your trusty pen, or fire up your favorite writing software and get to work.
Because there are no “bad writing days” or “good writing days”.
There are only days.
So make the best of today, because it’s the only day you ever really have.
