How does your writing practice benefit you?

According to A Writer’s
Book of Days by Judy Reeves, these are the effects of a writing practice.
What do you think? And what would you add?

·
Daily writing practice sessions improve your
writing

·
Writing will come easier and be less forced

·
You’ll take more risks in your writing

·
You’ll become less self-conscious; your writing
will be looser, freer

·
You’ll learn your rhythms as a writer and what
you want to write about

·
You’ll discover your secrets and glimpse your
shadows

·
You’ll have an opportunity to grieve what needs
to be grieved, and to heal

·
You’ll feel good about yourself as a writer and
experience increased self-esteem

·
You’ll fill notebooks, which may mean the
beginnings, middles, and endings of some projects you didn’t even know you
wanted to write

I certainly agree with all of these points. And I think a daily writing practice can multiply
these benefits. I find writing daily allows me write even more freely and yes--
my writing is looser, more confident. I suppose it’s like anything else—the
more you do it, the better you get. The more you practice, the more you gain. I
also love the idea of a writing practice becoming a discovery of secrets and
shadows. These surprises are one of the main reasons I write. We learn things about ourselves, those hidden things, and grow not
only as writers, but as people. Worth it, indeed.

“Don’t
just put in your time. That is not enough. You have to make a great effort. Be
willing to put your whole life on the line when you sit down for
writing-practice.”

-Natalie
Goldberg

photo by:Lyubomir Bukov