Olivia O’Ryan—Author

What do you wish someone had told you about writing? That it's hard? That it matters? That you're capable? I'm telling you now.

Time is going to pass anyway. You might as well write. A year from now, you'll wish you started today.

Why Another Book About Writing Habits? (And Why This One Actually Works) I know what you’re thinking...

An article for a Sunday morning... and something for you to look forward to!

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The Writing Habit | Olivia O'Ryan | Substack Authorship, author business marketing, a journey into the world of book marketing. Click to read The Writing Habit, by Olivia O'Ryan, a Substack publication. Launched a few seconds ago.

My first Substack post is up!

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The obstacle: Analysis paralysis. The solution: Pick one project. Commit to 20 minutes. Start. One choice. One commitment.

What would your writing look like if you trusted yourself more? If you believed your voice mattered? Try it.

Stop overthinking. Start typing. The cursor is blinking. That's your cue.

You don't need a writing degree. You need discipline and 20 minutes. Education helps. But commitment matters more.

What story have you been telling yourself about why you can't write? Is it true, or is it just comfortable?

Anyone else get excited about their book cover being designed & finished, and then realize you have to market your book?

...and then dread and excitement hit you equally at the same time?

That's how I'm feeling today.

Excellent choice, as always.

The obstacle: 'I don't feel creative today.' The solution: Creativity is a practice, not a feeling. Show up anyway.

Productivity hack: Do the thing you're avoiding first. Eat the frog. Write the hard sentence. Get it done.

What would you write about if you had all the time in the world? Now write about that in 20 minutes. Time expands when you focus.

The magic isn't in the muse—it's in the mundane commitment to show up. Every day. Inspired or not. Ready or not.

What does your writing practice look like when you remove all expectations? When you're not writing to publish or impress? What emerges?

You don't need a new idea. You need to finish the one you have. Stop collecting ideas and start completing them.

The obstacle: Decision fatigue. The solution: Write at the same time every day. Remove the decision. Make it automatic.

Time blocking works. Twenty minutes for writing. Everything else can wait. The laundry will still be there. Your words won't wait forever.

What's the one project you've been putting off? Why? What would happen if you started it today, imperfectly, for 20 minutes?

Stop waiting for permission. Give it to yourself. You're the only authority you need. Your voice matters because it's yours.

The obstacle: 'I'm not a real writer.' The solution: Real writers write. So write. You don't need credentials. You need commitment.

What would it feel like to finish that piece you started months ago? To type 'The End'? That feeling is waiting for you.

Productivity isn't measured in hours—it's measured in progress. Did you move forward? That's enough. That's always enough.

What if the goal wasn't to write well, but just to write? What if you removed all judgment and just let words flow?

The obstacle: Comparison. The solution: Your story isn't theirs. Write yours. The world doesn't need another version of someone else.

You're not behind. You're exactly where you need to be. Now write. Comparison is the death of creativity.

What's one limiting belief you have about your writing? That it's self-indulgent? That it doesn't matter? What if you're wrong?

Twenty minutes of focused work beats hours of distracted effort. Presence matters more than duration. Quality over quantity.

The obstacle: 'I don't know what to write.' The solution: Write that. Start there. 'I don't know what to write but I'm writing anyway...'