Have you found yourself lamenting that you haven’t done any writing during a busy day? You’ve thought about your topic, gone over scenes in your head, but just haven’t been able to write any of it.
Here’s great news: You’re still writing! All those thoughts, brainstorming, mulling over things, trying to figure out the right way to approach a story … it all counts as writing.
Turns out writing isn’t just about a word count. It’s everything that goes into your writing project.
So, if your project is on your heart today, you’ve already been writing today. That means you are further along than you think. That’s not cause for lamentation. It’s cause for celebration.
What Counts as Writing?
Here are some moments that are part of your writing process:
- Thinking about stories and scenes you want to include in your book.
- Remembering a life moment or something a family member experienced.
- Talking through a story out loud with a relative or friend.
- Scribbling a line of dialogue in your notebook to include in your story later.
- Thinking of questions to ask a family member or someone who was present during the story you’re writing about.
- Looking through photos and journal entries for inspiration.
- Untangling a scene in your mind while washing dishes.
Any activity like that is part of your writing process. Those moments all play a role in moving your project forward. As you do any of those things, you are writing.
You’re Wearing the Story
Even when you’re not actively thinking about your project, the story is still with you. You are wearing it. It becomes part of your daily experience. It stirs when you hear a song, come across a familiar scent, or listen to daily chatter.
Sometimes, ideas for your story will pop up, seemingly our of nowhere. You’re feeding your dog, and a memory stirs. Driving down the road, an old conversation comes back to you. Those aren’t random popups. That’s your story speaking up because it’s living in your heart.
So, wearing your story means you’re writing it, even on busy days when you think your writing project is the furthest thing from your mind. Trust the quiet work your mind is doing. It means you’re still writing.
You Are Making Progress Every Day
If you have been thinking about your writing project, remembering details or brainstorming ideas, or simply wearing your story, you’ve been writing, even when you haven’t put a word on paper. So, don’t lament your word count for the day or week. Follow the creative process that works for you and for your story. Some story moments take longer to percolate than others.
Write when the words are tumbling out. Write in those moments you carve out to sit with your computer or notebook.
In between, allow your heart, thoughts, memories, conversations, and photo searches to do their part in your writing process. It’s all part of the work of creating a book, blog, or other writing project.
Simple Step for Today
Here’s a simple, short, encouraging step for you to do right now.
Think back—when is the last time a thought or memory related to your story popped into your head? What was the thought, and what were you doing at the time?
Jot that down, just a sentence or two describing what popped up and when. That’s an example of your story showing up, even when you’re focused on other things.
Jotting that down will help you see and remember the ways you are working on your project even when you’re not writing words.
That’s writing. That’s enough for today.
Janet Eriksson 