Write This Down

there's going to be a quiz

Photo by obsidian too on Unsplash

I hear you—many of you are tired of the same ol’ journaling prompts that are allegedly designed to “get you in the mood to write.”

You’re encouraged to free write your feelings, explore your blocks, unpack your entire childhood, name the fear, show gratitude. Don’t get me wrong. That can be useful. I’m a big fan of telling the universe what you’re thankful for.

It can also be a great way to spend thirty minutes scribbling notes that really don’t help your manuscript.

What I’m proposing here is something different. It’s an approach I use with my coaching clients when they don’t need to explore every life challenge before a writing session.

The goal is to figure out what kind of writing session you’re actually capable of today, so you stop asking your nervous system for something it can’t give.

Before you open your manuscript, pause and answer three questions. You can answer them silently, or you can write a sentence or two if that helps. But keep it brief and don’t change your answers. Go with whatever pops into your mind first.

1. What state am I in right now?

Not emotionally, in a poetic sense. We’re talking practically. Are you wired, imbalanced, focused, foggy, clear? There’s no correct answer. You’re just identifying the state of your energy.

This matters because different energetic states support different kinds of work.

A jittery mind might create sharp fragments but struggle to connect the pieces to the overall arc. A deep, slow state can be ideal for revision. Foggy means maybe you shift to general idea creation or simply take a rest day.

We want to work with your natural flow for the day, not against it.

2. What does the draft need right now?

This is not what you want from it or what it “should” be.

Sometimes the writing needs energy and excitement. Sometimes it needs patience and line-level accuracy. Sometimes it needs research and exploration. Sometimes you’re working against a deadline or responding to your editor’s feedback.

Be very specific here and don’t default to what feels the most impressive. Name the actual need.

3. What is the most balanced action I can take in the next thirty minutes?

Balance means the action respects both your current state and what the draft needs.

If you’re depleted and the draft needs structural help, maybe you sketch the arc in bullet points instead of forcing yourself to rewrite scenes. If you’re energized and the draft needs momentum, write, write, write! And don’t stop to reread or edit.

I love this approach because it reduces the amount of energy you spend fighting yourself.

I often see authors get frustrated because they try to follow the “calendar” they planned weeks or months in advance, without adjusting for daily ebbs and flows in energy and patience.

These questions will help you learn to pause, turn inward, and listen to what you’re capable of in that moment. This is going to reduce the amount of sessions you spend trying to prove something or working through your writing task list simply to check a box.

As they always say: take what works for you; leave what doesn’t. Try it out and see what flows.

Keep writing, my friends. The world needs your words.

In ink,

Allison

allisonink.com

With over 15 years of experience helping writers navigate drafting, revision, and publishing, I share insights, tools, and editor-tested strategies straight to your inbox. Subscribe for free or pledge $5 to support my work.