On getting your Writing Done

May 2, 2026 - I saw this in the Atlantic Daily on my e-mail feed and I thought it was important for you and for me about getting our writing done.

I have completed and self published three books, and have written a book or two that I simply spiral bound the manuscript. I like to write - NO - I Love to write. It just burbles out of me like a spring out of a mountain. So many people I have known over the years have told me that they feel they have a book in them or that they could be good writers but they simply don't write. Back in the 1970's I started writing journals and I have kept at it ever since. It made me fluent. This blog ha also been a way to practice this art that I love. Here is a good excerpt from the Atlantic article on how a great writer gets it done:

"If Isabel Allende’s office needs to be painted, it has to be done by January 8 or put on hold. Every year, that’s the day she starts writing.

Allende’s January 8 ritual is a form of what social scientists call a “commitment device”: a ­self‑imposed restriction of freedom in service of a larger goal.

The pattern goes back to January 8, 1981, when Allende began her first novel, The House of the Spir its. Ever since, she has cleared her calendar and started a new book on that date, assuming she had finished the previous one. The ritual has helped her publish a book about every 18 months for 43 years. Today, at age 83, Allende ­is the most translated female ­Spanish‑language author in the world, by far" …

So, set aside a time of the day, especially if you have a time of fairly idle moments, or a day of the week to do your writing! Mine is early around 10:00 a.m. Get your story told! Also, join a writing group for a little extra incentive. I belonged to one for 25 years and I loved it. I especially enjoyed hearing the short stories of others in the group, all of whom found ways to get their pieces printed in magazines, journals, newsletters, and newspapaers!

Happy Trails! wrightj45@yahoo.com