Day 4: Just write it! (But don't read it.)

It's Day 4 of my 20-day marathon to write a book (and blog about it at the same time).

Here's another tip to help you write your book (whether in 20 days or 20 weeks).

My 4th-grade English teacher was way ahead of Nike. She told us "Just write it" long before Nike came up with "Just do it."

My goal right now in these early days is to get something--ANYTHING--down on paper. That's why this stage is "Just write it." 

I force myself to write a complete first draft WITHOUT going back and editing or even reading what I've already written.

That's how I'm able to tear through 2 chapters a day.

I just finished the 8th chapter and I have no idea what condition the previous 7 are in because I haven't looked at them since I wrote them. There will be plenty of time for that. In fact the schedule I set up on Day 1 includes 4 days for editing.

Remember on Day 1 how I focused on left-brain stuff like setting up a schedule and my template? Now I'm in right-brain mode doing the writing--and the last thing I want is Mr. Self-Critic trying to distract me with comments like, "Shouldn't that be a semi-colon? Didn't you already use that word 3 times? Maybe you should run spell-check on that last paragraph. That margin looks a little wierd."

Mr. Self-Critic will never stop talking--but I don't have to answer him. I just ignore him and keep on click-click-clicking away.

I've written 11,000 words in 4 days. Let him criticize that!