Writing for Five Minutes

So this is one of those times when I feel like I don’t have time to write because I’m on my way somewhere in half an hour. But I must remember the mantra: just write for five minutes. That’s what my friend and fellow wannabe writer Ann always tells me. So here I sit, wondering what I can write about in just five minutes. I know it’s easy to write for five minutes. I’m doing it now. Just stream of consciousness. So why don’t I do it more often? All those days when I don’t write anything, and don’t even try to write anything, because I feel like I don’t have time to write.

I think I know what it is. I don’t feel like I can write anything good in five minutes. Nothing worth reading. No time for pithiness. No time for editing. And my book? I can’t work on that in five minutes, and that’s what I really want to be working on. I’ve told a zillion people I’m working on a book. Jon has told at least that many people I’m working on a book. So now I’ve got all this pressure to finish it.

Actually, the pressure I’ve imposed on myself by telling people I’m writing a book is part of my grand strategy to get it done. If I know people know about it, and I know people will ask me about it whenever I see them next, I have a goal to make concrete progress before I see them again. So when I do see them again and they ask, “How’s your book?” I won’t have to say (a) I was just kidding, I’m not writing a book, or (b) what book?, or (c) I haven’t touched a keyboard in a year, or (d) you must be confusing me with someone else. Instead, I want to be able to say, (a) I finished the first draft, it stinks but I’m editing like mad, or (b) it’s great! It needs some work still, but I’m going to the Maui Writers’ Conference in 2008 to shop it around, or (c) my agent says there’s a bidding war so I’m optimistic.

My five minutes is up. Gotta run.