When I’m in the creative phase, I must meet my word count…except when I don’t. When I’m in the editing and revising phase, I must meet my page count…except when I don’t. It’s good to have default rules for your writing. It can be time, page count, word count, whatever makes sense for you. Establish your rules and follow them. Yes, there are times when you have to make exceptions. Those times should be, by definition, exceptional. Only you can judge that. Each of us knows when making an exception is valid and when it’s not. We know when we’re being lazy. I’m not against laziness. I love laziness. I love it so much that I use the promise of being lazy as a reward. I promise my inner lazy writer whatever she wants after I finish what needs to be done. I will sit by the pool, sip something cool, or watch that show I’m embarrassed to admit I watch after I finish. Writers write, whether they’re feeling lazy or not. If you’re like me, and the idea of doing nothing is appealing, use it. If you’re reading this, however, and have no idea what I’m talking about when I talk about laziness, give me a call. I have a garage that could use some straightening.
