When writers talk about the keys to being a good writer, one of the first things that comes up is a regimen. Most successful writers have a writing routine, typically in the form of a daily word count. My daily count is 1,000 words, which is pretty standard. Now, sometimes I go over that. Sometimes way over (I can average 4-5k words per day when working on a novel). But I regard 1,000 words as the minimum. And I only count fiction toward my word count. So, for instance, blog posts like this one do not count.

Many writers seem to struggle with this. The most common problem is simply this: “What should I writer about?”

My answer: anything.

I like to tell people that writing is a skill, not an ability. Anyone, and I mean anyone, can learn to write well. True, as with all skills, some have a natural talent for it. But that just means they’ll progress faster, and need less work to get there. Anyone can write. If I can do it, anyone can.

But skills need to be honed. To keep my writing sharp while not actively writing a novel project, I reach my daily quota with what I call my “Daily Sketches”. I got the idea years ago from one of my closest friends. He’s an automotive designer, and explained to me the process of sketch drawing. When sketching out a design, the pen remains in constant motion. It’s a stream of consciousness: you let the design lead you where it wants. There are no mistakes: if you draw an unexpected line, it becomes part of the design. You run with it, and keep going until you feel like you’re done.

So I applied that thinking to my daily writing regimen. My daily sketches follow a few simple rules:

It’s spontaneous

I start by sitting and picturing a scene. I let the scene lead me to a story. But that story idea starts the moment I sit down to write. If I had an idea for a story the previous night, or even earlier that morning, I will intentionally go in a completely different direction. Years ago, I sat down to write one of my earliest sketches during a blizzard. I’d been picturing arctic survival scenes the entire day. So I ended up writing a story about a woman taking a moonlight swim in Hawai’i.

It’s totally off-the-cuff

My sketches are about flow, and I let nothing disrupt it. I don’t allow myself to do research, look things up, or even look at pictures. If I find myself trying to describe something I’m unfamiliar with, I either write around it or just make something up.

It’s something I haven’t done before

…or at least recently. I have no expectations for my sketches; most of them will never be read by anyone else. So I use them as a chance to test myself. I try new things, often simply because I’ve never done it before (I call this “being the scarecrow”, and I’ll offer a free short story to anyone who gets that Star Trek reference). Over the years, I’ve written sketches about people drowning on sinking ships. I’ve written stories from a female POV. I once wrote a story about an NYC beat cop on a stakeout. Last year I wrote a sketch where all of the dialogue was in Spanish.

It’s never forced

I always say a story should be as long (or short) as it needs to be. In the early days, there were plenty of sketches where I only made it a paragraph or two and realized I’d run out of story. That was it. What’s more, not every story pans out. If I start trying to write a sketch, and the story isn’t coming together, sometimes I’ll try to “write myself in”: I start describing the scene, to see if a narrative will emerge from it. At the very least, I give every story idea two paragraphs to see if it pans out. If it doesn’t, I leave it, and move on.

First and foremost, my sketches are about maintaining my ability to produce as stable narrative: a story that moves seamlessly from its opening through its climax and to its conclusion. When preparing for a novel project, I often use my sketches to “stretch myself out”: a reference to the process by which Major League Baseball starting pitchers gradually increase their innings during spring training, until they can pitch a full game. By gradually writing longer and longer stories, I’m able to extend the narrative past a mere 1,000 words.

As I said, many of my sketches don’t pan out. But some have. Some have ultimately become short stories posted here on this site. In fact, nearly every short fiction piece I’ve ever posted here began as one of my daily sketches. The same goes for every flash fiction piece I’ve posted. But it wasn’t always like that. For the first few years of my writing, I’d say about one out of every ten sketches made it all the way to a complete story. These days, only one out of every ten doesn’t make it.

If you’re reading this and looking to get into writing, the simplest, easiest, and best way to start is this: just write. Write anything. Sit down and start writing, see where it leads you. Work your way into a regimen. Make writing part of your daily routine. The mind, like the body, needs exercise. Start slow. You’ll be surprised where it takes you. – MK