What is writing?

Writing is so much more than just putting words down on a page. Let's talk toxic productivity culture among writers.

Sometimes, I have debilitating writer’s block. I can’t come up with what I think are good ideas, or when I do, after I write the script, it may take me about a year to figure out the ending. That’s not hyperbole - this happened to the last feature I wrote.

As a writer, we often engage with writing communities on Twitter, Reddit, or whatever social media you prefer. People share their word counts of the day or their well-intended advice, all to encourage and motivate themselves and others.

But what if it does the exact opposite?

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This is Manon de Reeper’s newsletter about her journey towards making her first feature film, wading through the messy Hollywood waters and trying to make sense of it all. It’s probably interesting to other screenwriters, directors and producers who’ve embarked on the same journey.

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I used to engage pretty actively with these communities, especially on… the late Twitter. Over the years though, I found myself getting annoyed by people sharing their word counts, or the well-intended advice mentioned earlier. After a couple of years you’ll find that people rehash the same types of advice, over and over.

“Just sit down and write.”

“Write for yourself.”

“Write X amount of words a day and you’ll automatically get better.”

Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash

Paraphrasing, of course, and it’s just a small sample of this kind of sage advice you’ll see echoed in these spaces. But I’m at the point I’ve heard versions of these and many others so often that they have become severely cliché. I also realized over the years that most of these just don’t work for me. And trust me, I tried.

“Good writers get up at 5AM and write at least 3000 words a day”

I found out that I’m a burst-style writer. I take a long time to come up with a story that I feel is good, that I think is worth my time and would be viable for my career, and then, I carefully outline and write it all over the course of about a month. And the end result is usually not bad!

I’ve come to the point where writer Twitter and other writing communities online are actively demotivating and discouraging me from writing. To me, it has a certain whiff of toxic productivity. It’s a focus on quantity over quality and, at this point, it feels to me like they are insinuating that if you’re not writing every day, you’re a bad writer. If you don’t have the discipline of getting up at 5AM to write? Not committed enough. A failure.

Those are, of course, my own projections and insecurities. But this attitude to writing is so prevalent, I can’t be the only one who feels this way.

As a side note, I am not and never have been a morning person, and I’ve stopped trying to fight it. The way getting up early is somehow intrinsically linked to productivity is wild.

Reveling in being a “failure”

I stopped engaging with writing communities online since the pandemic. And as Twitter has been crumbling over the past year I’m using it less and less, so I don’t even accidentally run into it anymore and it’s been great. I feel less pressure to be “productive” when it comes to writing. I’ve become less focused on being a “good writer” as per the rules of the internet.

I have been focusing a lot more on living life. Instead of forcing myself to sit down and write, I’m forcing myself to get up and walk.

Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash

I wish the advice online would more often encourage writers to go into the world, explore and adventure, to engage with people (especially people that aren’t in your immediate surroundings). To fall on your face and get up again. To have amazing, unusual experiences - push your own boundaries. To learn what that feels like. Writers, perhaps a little stereotypical, are often considered to be introverted, but going against your grain and expanding your boundaries can be hugely beneficial to your writing.

We are all trying to write interesting stories and deep characters we want other people to empathize with. But I firmly believe we need to live life to improve our skill. It’s hard to write truth if you haven’t lived some of it. I know that’s a writing advice cliché in itself - but it’s maybe the only one that actually rings true to me.

Write every day without writing

This is why I believe I do write every day even if I’m not putting words on a page. I travel, I engage, I experience. I know my stories will get so much better for it. My characters’ emotional responses will feel so much more true because of it.

So if like me, you’re feeling down about not being “productive” every day, feeling like a failed writer because you aren’t able to report your 1000+ word count every day, keep that in mind. You’re living life. You’re writing every day just by living life, and your stories will be better for it. Forget the idea of being productive. Write what you need to write and practice your craft in a way that feels good to you.

Listen to yourself, not the self-proclaimed writing experts.

Things I enjoyed this week

• Youtube: Khadija Mbowe

• Music: Polaris & PhaseOne - Icarus

• Book: The Last Hero by Linden A. Lewis

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This newsletter is written by Manon de Reeper.

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Have any ideas for future topics? Share them with Manon at manondereeper@substack.com, or connect with her on Twitter or on Instagram.