2 types of writing discipline

Unlike any other job ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Becoming a writer will be unlike any other job you'll ever have. There are 2 parts of a writing career that require near identical discipline (at least in the beginning stages). I will explain because it'd be weird if I didn't... The other day I wrote an email about discipline. The idea was: compulsion first, discipline second. So start writing when you feel compelled. That compulsion and feeling of "I can't NOT" needs to come first. Then you use discipline to push through when it gets tough or the inspiration starts to fade. However, I don't think that email quite hit the mark. Like I said, there are 2 parts to a writing career (or really, any creative career). 1. There's the compulsive writing that HAS to be done when inspiration hits. I was watching a documentary about Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead. He had a perfect line in there about how he HAD to write when the muse (or inspiration) struck. He said something along the lines of, "There were plenty of nights when I'd rather have been sleeping in bed, than up working through a tune. But I did what I had to do." This is exactly what I'm talking about. When that burst hits you, you'll know, and you'll need to follow it. That's one part of being a writer of any kind. Yes, being an email copywriter counts. And to be honest, for a long time, I thought this was the way that real writing results were accomplished. In a fever pitch. But that's not the whole story. 2. The second part is the discipline to sit down to write when the inspiration (or muse) isn't there. In this case, it's disciple first, compulsion second, discipline again to stick to it. You can't overlook this head down, grind-it-out type writing at the beginning of a project or career. Over time it gets easier to "show up to work" and like any other career, your "time in the office" will shift and probably reduce. More becomes less with time. My hypothesis here is that most new writers ignore at least one type of writing when you have to have both. Some think it's ALL about ass-in-the-chair hustle. Others think that writing will just spontaneously appear and take them to the promised land. I'd almost put handwriting in both categories. It's an ass-in chair writing activity that often sparks inspiration for those compulsive sessions faster than you'd think. You learn more quickly and you're better able to recall what you've leaved after handwriting. So when the muse is yapping at you... you can just be in that moment, writing. - Derek Learn more about the CopyHour course here: Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( CopyHour.com, 340 S LEMON AVE, 5007, WALNUT, CA 91789