June 12, 2023 - first draft struggles

Today I've added about 200 words to my current work in progress as a result of around 2 hours at my desk. Not a great day for that story.

I always struggle getting first drafts to completion and the struggle is repeating on this one. I've had a firm idea in my head for a while that I want to write a transformation story. I know what the transformation is going to be, and how that part is going to be written. The struggle comes with the story that causes the transformation. I knew it was going to be rooted in anxiety, with the transformation coming in as an escape from the anxieties this particular individual is facing. The challenge I'm finding is the story that leads up to the transformation so that it feels like an inevitable conclusion, instead of a tacked on fix it all gimmick. I'm trying to build in causality that makes it feel part of the whole.

I have around 3000 words drafted so far and probably another 6000 or so in previous drafts. I started this idea in September 2022 and it has gone through several iterations. The draft I'm in at present feels the closest to the form its meant to take, but its that elusive middle which is escaping me in this first draft. Persistence is all I can throw at it for now.

June 1st, 2023 - A new routine

So yesterday I plotted out my "ideal week" on a new Google calendar. A suggestion from this video by Ali Abdaal. The reason for doing this is because recently I've felt like I'm not pushing myself enough to dedicate more time to the things I want to be working on. Chief among them, writing more.

Too often I find myself not knowing what to do with my time and so filling it with useless activity that accomplishes nothing. Following a calendar is something I've tried before and really not enjoyed as it always felt too restrictive but I'm going to give this another go.

This morning I've clocked in just under 2 hours of writing time thanks to the new routine. Sticking to that means I'll get 14 hours of writing a week done... which sounds insane compared to what I'm currently on. It's a big jump up. I'm hoping practice will make it easier. But right now I feel much better for having done those 2 hours of writing and still having the bulk of the day ahead of me for whatever else needs doing.

May 3rd 2023 - 10,000 hours

I'd heard of the 10,000-hour rule a few times but last night was the first time I properly read about it. I couldn't sleep and ended up reading some of Malcolm Gladwell's book, Outliers. In the book, he looks to redefine how we view success by looking at the conditions that create the people we see as successful in the world.

The 10,000-hour rule simply means that it takes roughly 10,000 hours of practise in something to become a master of that thing. Gladwell talks about the Beatles and how they managed to cram in thousands of hours of live shows by performing in clubs in Hamburg that required them to play for 5,6,7 or 8 hours straight. Doing that consistently for years meant that by the time the Beatles enjoyed their major successes, they had clocked in way over 10,000 hours of practice. The Beatles didn't hussle or earn their time in Hamburg but instead go the opportunity via a random chance and a bit of luck.

Bill Gates had a similar experience. He was incredibly lucky to be sent to a school that not only had access to a computer but also resources that could allow him to spend hours and hours learning how the machine worked. By the time the personalised computer revolution came about he was in a prime position to take full advantage of the 10,000+ hours he'd crammed in as a kid.

Now I'd wondered about the 10,000-hour rule for myself a few times and how it might apply. If I assumed I was starting from 0 today and wanted to reach my 10,000 hours in 10 years, I'd need to do 1000 hours a year - which immediately sounds more doable. But breaking that down further means I'd have to do 20 hours a week or just under 3 hours a day. That's 3 hours every day for 10 years.

For someone who averages about 10 minutes a day, adding 2 hours and 50 minutes onto that is a bit of a tall ask. Is it something worth aiming for? Maybe. Will I aim for it? Not sure yet. I've known for a while that I need to increase the amount of time I spend writing at my desk. More often that not it becomes a question of what can I drop from my life to allow that to happen.