by Suzanne Lieurance
You decide today is the day you’re going to write more.
And for a while, it works. The words come. You push through. You feel productive.
Then the next day, something feels off. Writing that used to feel easy now feels like effort. And by day three, you’re back to where you started — or writing even less than before.
This isn’t a discipline problem. It’s an energy problem. And it has a simple solution most writers never try.
Why Writing More Can Backfire
When writers decide to increase their output, they usually do it the same way: by pushing harder.
More pressure. More time. More effort.
But as we explored in pushing vs. expanding your writing, pressure has a ceiling. You can sustain it for a day or two — and then your creative energy quietly collapses under the weight of it.
The drain you feel isn’t caused by writing. It’s caused by how you’re approaching it.
The Shift That Changes Everything
What if instead of trying to write more, you focused on writing slightly more than you did yesterday?
Not double. Not even noticeably more.
Just a little further than your natural stopping point.
That small distinction changes everything about how the experience feels — and how long you can sustain it.
A Simple Approach That Actually Works
Start exactly where you are. Write as you normally would. Then, when you reach your usual stopping point, add a small extension.
A few extra sentences. A few extra minutes. Enough to stretch you — not enough to drain you.
That’s it.
It sounds almost too simple. But here’s what happens when you do it consistently: your baseline rises. What once felt like a full session starts to feel like the middle of one. And you begin writing more without ever feeling like you’re doing more.
Why This Protects Your Energy
Small increases don’t deplete your creative reserves — they expand them.
Your mind and body adapt gradually, building capacity in the background without triggering the resistance that comes from pushing. Over time, you’re not just writing more. You’re writing more easily.
Where This Fits Into the May Writing Challenge
This is one of the core principles running through the May Writing Challenge — expanding your creative capacity in a way that feels calm and aligned rather than forced.
If you’ve been following along, you’re already building this. If you haven’t joined yet, this is a good week to start.
One Thing to Try Today
Write as you normally would.
Then go just a little further — and notice how it feels.
Not depleted. Not drained. Just slightly stretched.
That’s the feeling you’re building toward. Hold onto it.
Want support staying consistent? Monday Morning Manifestors gives you a weekly rhythm, and Manifesting Monthly magazine goes deeper into how to sustain your energy as a creative.
Suzanne Lieurance is the author of over 40 published books and a transformational Law of Attraction coach for writers who are ready to stop waiting to feel like the real thing. At Write by the Sea, she guides writers through the identity shift that changes everything — not just the writing, but the whole life built around it. She is the publisher of Manifesting Monthly and the host of Monday Morning Manifestors.
