Embrace Seinfeld's 'Don't break the chain' to be a better writer
Jerry Seinfeld is a great comedian because he is a great writer.
He became a great writer due to this simple strategy:
“Don’t break the chain.”
Show up every day to write.
When Brad Isaac was a starting comedian he came across Seinfeld at a club where he was performing.
In an interview on Lifehacker, Isaac asked Seinfeld for tips on making it as a comedian.
Seinfeld said the way to be a better comic was to create better jokes, and the way to create better jokes was to write every day. He told him to get a big wall calendar with a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall.
The next step was to get a big red magic marker. He said that each day I do my writing task, I get to put a big red X over that day.
“After a few days, you'll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day.”
You'll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job is to not break the chain.”
Stephen King is another writer who is known for writing every day.
He says:
“Your job is to make sure the muse knows where you’re going to be every day from nine ‘til noon or seven ‘til three. If he does know, I assure you that sooner or later he’ll start showing up, chomping his cigar, and making his magic.”
For me, 6:00- 7:00 am is my sweet spot. It’s where my creativity is superior and my mood is at its best. I block my calendar so that I don’t cancel on myself.
Sometimes life happens and I don’t get to write, but I do my best not to break the chain. Skipping two days in a row is a red flag and can lead to breaking the habit.
If you want to make it as a writer, show up to write. Every. Single. Day. Rain or shine.
Don’t break the chain
.