Writers, it's not about the toys

Earlier this year, Merlin Mann gave a talk at MaxFunCon about creativity and the act of producing creative work. One of his points resonated with me and I want to share it here because it’s so important for writers.

He said:

“How many of you have thought more about the kind of notebook you buy than what you’d like to write as a result of it?”

~ and ~

“We create these mental barriers for ourselves about all the things that just need to change a little bit before we can get started...If I just had this one little thing that was a little bit different, I’d feel so great about starting this project.”

I see this so often with writers. I’ve even been guilty of it a few times myself. How many times have you said to yourself, “If I had that particular software (or gadget, or tool), I’d write”? How many times have you procrastinated about writing and blamed your lack of productivity on the need for the perfect notebook, pen, or other gizmo?

Writing is not about the toys. It’s not about the gadgets or the software. You don’t need that fancy Moleskine notebook. It might make you look hip but it won’t make you a better writer. Writing makes you a better writer.

If you’re always waiting until you have the latest greatest tool before you start writing, you’ll never write. When you make that gadget a requirement for getting the words down on paper, you give yourself a permanent obstacle, because as soon as you acquire your current item of desire, you’ll come across yet another item and the cycle will begin again.

The real problem isn’t your need for the perfect gadget. The real problem goes much deeper than that. It's rooted in fear – fear of failure, fear of success, fear of change, fear your writing sucks and nobody will want to read it.

If you still want that fancy new tool, make it a reward you give yourself after you write, after you complete your first draft or meet a specific goal.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy whatever notebook you feel most comfortable writing in or use tools that help you work more efficiently. It’s much easier to write a screenplay when you’re using software that formats everything for you. Tools and software are not always bad. The problem arises when acquiring such-and-such new toy becomes a hurdle you’ve convinced yourself you need to overcome before you can write.

There's only one thing that will kill this form of procrastination swiftly and mercilessly: Write something every day.

It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece. It doesn’t have to be long. You just need to make an honest effort to get some words on paper every single day. If you need help with this, check out my post about how to form a daily writing habit.

When you write something every day, the excuses begin to fall away and eventually all you’re left with is the act of writing. It’s a beautiful thing.