Joseph Hare

Have you ever considered how similar writing is to hiking? Suppose you break down what hiking really is. When you do, you’ll find that the process is this: you choose a path and take gradual, challenging steps to reach a beautiful destination. (My personal favorite hikes require mountains, so I’ll be using that narrative.) Writing is the same thing; you choose your story and write one word at a time, slowly approaching your destination, whether that be publication, a story for your friends, or creating an impactful story that emotionally moves your audience.

Before I continue with this topic, I’d like to ask you a question: have you ever had days when you’re not feeling it? Sometimes, you’ll go a week without even thinking about your story because of many things: writer’s block, a scene stressing you out, or because you’re too busy. Sometimes, you just don’t feel like writing. If you’ve felt any of these, you’re not alone, trust me. 

However, what I’ve come to realize over my many days of being an author is that, like a hiker, you have to take steps every day to reach your goal, despite how far away the top of the mountain seems.

Compare your words to steps. A typical novel requires about 80,000 words, right? So, no matter how small your effort may seem, like, one day, you only wrote 300 words, don’t stress over that, you took 300 steps up that mountain. You’re making progress, despite how little!

But my advice (borne from personal experience) is to write every day, no matter how much you may not want to, because every step counts, and before you know it, you’ll reach the peak of the mountain, and you will have the privilege of beholding where you came from, and where you are now.

So take that journey, and, step by step, you will reach the destination meant only for you. Write like a hiker! I’ve heard the view from the top is worth the cramping legs.