The Myth of the Big Push
Every writer has fantasised about it at some point: that glorious, uninterrupted stretch of time when you finally “catch up.” The long weekend. The holiday break. The retreat in a rustic cabin with nothing but your laptop, coffee, and a roaring fire.
In this fantasy, you write like a machine. Thousands of words pour out. You make up for months of inconsistency. You finally become the writer you always meant to be.
The reality? Those big pushes almost never work the way you think they will. And even when they do, they can’t replace regular, sustainable effort.
Why Big Pushes Feel So Tempting
Big pushes are seductive because they give you a story to tell yourself. “I may not be writing much now, but just wait until that weekend—I’ll smash out 10,000 words.”
It feels proactive. It lets you procrastinate without quite admitting you’re procrastinating. And it’s fun to imagine yourself in full creative flow, hammering away at the keyboard like you’re possessed.
But here’s the problem: writing isn’t just about raw output. It’s about rhythm, continuity, and staying in touch with your story.
When I Tried It
I’ve had big pushes. Days where I wrote a 7,000-word short story in a single sitting. Weekends where I added 10,000 words or more to a novel in progress.
They were exhilarating in the moment, but they burned me out. They drained me. There was nothing left in the well for the days after the big push.
Yes, writing 7,000 words in a day was a rush. But writing 2,000 words a day for a week? That’s better progress. It’s sustainable. And if things are going well, I can keep that rhythm going for weeks at a time.
It’s like trying to move a heavy weight. If you’ve got a hundred kilograms you need to move? Move it in ten or fifteen kilogram stacks. Don’t move all hundred in one lift.
The Problem with the Big Push Mindset
When you rely on big pushes, you lose the thread between them. Your characters go cold. Your plot feels distant. When you finally sit down for that marathon session, you spend half the time reacquainting yourself with the work instead of building on it.
Worse, big pushes encourage all-or-nothing thinking. If the weekend doesn’t go perfectly—if life gets in the way, if the words won’t come—you feel like you’ve failed. That guilt makes it even harder to get back to the page.
And if you do pull it off? The buzz fades, and without a daily or weekly habit, you slide right back to nothing.
Why Small, Regular Sessions Win Every Time
A half-hour a day may not sound impressive, but over a month, it’s far more powerful than one giant writing binge. Short, frequent sessions keep you connected to your work. You don’t have to warm up from scratch every time.
They also reduce the emotional load. Writing for 30 minutes is easy to say yes to, even on a busy day. That means you’re far more likely to show up—and showing up is where momentum lives.
Consistency Builds Stamina
Think of writing like training for a marathon. You wouldn’t prepare by running one 42km session once a month and calling it good. You’d train in smaller, consistent sessions, building strength and endurance over time.
Your creative muscles work the same way. Big pushes can be a fun challenge now and then, but they should be the exception, not the plan.
Try This
For the next four weeks, give yourself permission not to wait for the big push. Instead:
- Write at least 15 minutes a day, no matter what.
- Keep your sessions small enough that you end them wanting more.
- Track the days you wrote, not just your word count.
At the end of the month, compare your total output to what you’d expect from a single “dream weekend.” You might be surprised by how much further you’ve gone.
The Takeaway
The myth of the big push is comforting, but it’s just that—a myth. Real progress is built in small, deliberate steps. Show up often, not just when the stars align, and you’ll move your writing further than you ever could in a single heroic sprint.