Every November, writers everywhere gear up for the famous 50,000-word writing challenge (or the now-defunct NaNoWriMo).
And every year, I’m reminded of one simple truth: You don’t need to write every day to make progress. You just need to come back.
There’s a big difference between being constant and being consistent.
- Constant means showing up every single day, no matter what.
- Consistent means showing up regularly enough that your momentum never fully disappears.
One burns you out. The other builds you up.
If you’ve ever fallen off your writing routine and felt guilty, here’s your permission to drop the guilt. The goal isn’t to be perfect—it’s to keep returning.
Write often enough that the story doesn’t fade.
Write long enough that it has time to grow.
That’s the mindset I’m taking into November. I’ll be joining ProWritingAid’s Novel November challenge, but not to hit 50,000 words. My goal is to build momentum I can carry into December, and January, and February...
Because “consistent, not constant” isn’t just a clever phrase, it’s how real writing gets done.
Talk soon,
Declan Wilson
WriterGadgets.com