Answering My Own Question

Write. Write every day. This is what all of the writing advice gurus will tell you. Does it matter what you write? What if you are just making words shapes on your screen?

Is it better to write 750 words of fluff if I can’t figure out what to write?

Yes. Daily habit. Typing is typing.

No. I do not need to prove that I can crank out text. Between blog posts & emails, I know I generate words as fast as I can type them.

The preceding block quote is from my 750 entry for November 1st. [A Place To Write, Best Laid Plans]

At the beginning of the month, a friend decided to do NaNoWriMo. (Waves hi.) I did it back in 2011 and felt no desire to do it again. However, I offered to match their word count with my 750 typing.

So there I was, first day of the month, sitting at my desktop, having to type 750 words. I had nothing. The only, absolutely only, reason I continued was so that I could text my friend and say that I had done it. I even typed about it. Was there a point? Was this a valid use of my time?

I went to brush my teeth. Noted it in the text.

Typed.

Took a Google break. Noted it in the text. Hey, words is words.

Typed.

Somewhere in there my mind started wandering. The last 300 words were spent wondering about a character who might reappear someday, if I can ever figure out what to do with him, or her, or it.

The second day I spent writing about writing prompts [What To Write].

The third day, I was as blank as the first day, “If it wasn’t for reporting to Kris I would so not slog through this.” Shortly thereafter, I found myself typing at great speed in the words of a kid complaining about a school field trip to the moon.

Two out of the three days, I started with drivel and ended up committing fiction. While the muse did not come along and whack me coup de foudre with a complete story idea, both are little bits of business that I did not have before and my fiction habit is that much stronger.

So, it it worth typing just to type? Yes.

Even if you type ‘The cat sat on the mat.’ over and over. Soon you will start to wonder. Why was the cat sitting on the mat? Where was the mat? What color was the mat? What color was the cat?

Does it matter what you write? No. Just write.

That was a quick answer.

Crossposted [Virtual Brush Box]

See you on my book tour,
Katherine Walcott