I’m thankful for productive writing days. I’m thankful for days when the words seem to flow from my head, to my fingertips, and to the screen. Productive writing days make me feel accomplished and like a writer once more.

It’s been a long time since I felt like a writer. Each time that I sat down at the keyboard and attempted to complete a novel that has been 3 years in the making, only to come back empty, I felt like a failure. How could I go from churning out novel after novel, to suddenly nothing?

It is in these moments when the biggest advice I’ve read seems to come to mind: Just get the first draft out. I get so hung up on perfection that it stops me in my tracks. I want to go back and dwell on a sentence. I want to rewrite a paragraph until it flows effortlessly. These moments of perfectionism can wait. The first draft is all about telling the story and getting it out.

So what are your pitfalls when it comes to writing? Do you worry over the details as you go, or do you doubt the story once you start? Let me know in the comments below.

The post Productive Writing appeared first on Martha L. Thurston.