Write Everyday with Daily Page

I want to be a writer.

And I’m not interested in the “everyone’s a writer talk.” I want to be good.

I’ve fantasized about writing my novel and having it be an instant success. And then you start and realize this could take awhile and that your writing could use some serious work.  We can try to cut corners, but really the only way to become great (at anything) is to practice (everyday).

So I committed to a daily journal. I would roll out of bed, pick up my pen, and start writing. Three pages a morning was my goal. What I found was just a bunch of moaning and complaining being poured onto the paper. My job this and my love life that. It was bad.  

I soon instituted a no complaining rule for my journaling and I soon found myself with no where to start. I started skipping days and within a week I had completely stopped.

My daily writing routine had failed.

Soon after I was on a walk with a friend and we got on the topic of college essays. We missed them. There was nothing more intellectually satisfying than writing a good paper. And a lot of that satisfaction came from your ability to approach the prompt in an interesting and unique way.

The prompt. It all started with the prompt!

I once had a professor who taught us to think of a prompt as a railing that’s there for guidance and support when you need it, but not something that should be held onto. And that’s how we think about prompts at the Daily Page.

Our prompts are meant to give you a place to start. They’re meant to inspire and guide you on your path towards a daily writing routine.

So why everyday?  We think there's four main reasons:

1) Writing every day helps you become a better writer.

No big surprises there. Practice will make you better.  Like any other skill or art form, good writing takes practice. And writing every day (even if it’s only a couple hundred words) is a great place to start.

2) Engage your creative side on a regular basis.

It’s easy to go through our days without forcing ourselves to think creatively. We’ve all been in those ruts.  But when we write everyday (especially when presented with a prompt), we must think critically and exercise that creative part of our brains on a regular basis.

3) Clear your mind of lingering thoughts and ideas.

We don’t really consider how often lingering thoughts can weigh us down.  Writing every day clears your mind. And clearing your mind allows new ideas to form.

4) Share your work with others and help inspire.

Some of your writing should be private. It’s just better that way.  But some of it should be shared as well. Through our writing, we have the ability to bring happiness and new perspectives to those around us.  Write for yourself, but when appropriate, share with others.

We'd love for you to check out Daily Page.  And we hope it helps -- no matter what your goals for writing may be.  

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Bio

Nick Bastone is the co-founder of Daily Page, a tool designed to help people create a daily writing habit. Nick loves rituals in his life, which is a big reason for his interests in writing, meditation, surfing, and tea. Each is a special ritual that brings great joy.  

Nick, like many others, is an aspiring writer.  And he hopes, through his daily practice, to one day publish his work.