Here is a question to consider: what activities actually produce writing?

This is not a trick question, but a serious one. Why? Because it’s easy for us to fall under the spell of doing writing-related activities while secretly avoiding the hard work of writing.

There’s that course to take, that writing group to be involved in, that new writing craft book to read, that movie to watch so you can analyze the story structure, that fellow writer to have coffee with…

The list of things that help our writing is endless. But they don’t actually constitute writing.

The writer Matthew Kelly hit the nail on the head when he wrote, “Writers will do anything to avoid writing, and do it all in the name of writing.”

Can I get an Amen?

The joy and the temptation of being a writer is that we love what we do. We love talking about our craft, reading about it, and learning more about it.

And while all those things are helpful, even necessary, they don’t actually create the words.

What does produce the words, however, is sitting down to write. It’s getting the words down however you can. Whether it’s dictation, writing it out by hand, writing at lunchtime, getting up early, staying up late, or whatever it takes to get it done.

All those tools and resources for writing can be like the Sirens from Homer’s Odyssey. The hero Odysseus was tempted by the beautiful singing of the Sirens, but he stayed the course.

It’s tempting to spend all your time on writing-related activities without actually doing the writing. Yes, we must learn, connect, and grow as writers. But when you spend time on those activities, it’s helpful to ask, “Is it helping me get the writing done?”