From The Productive Indie Fiction Writer:
This site is dedicated to productivity. Writing productivity, to be specific. There are hundreds of hints, tips, tricks, and hacks on PIFW to help you write more, write faster, and write better.
Beyond this site there is trillions of posts, books and essays with golden nuggets of wisdom and experience that can help you get the words down.
You’ve probably tried some of them. Maybe you’ve even gone down the rabbit hole, convinced that the next system, tool, or mindset shift will finally make writing easy.
But here’s the hard truth: None of it works if you don’t do the work.
Writing a book isn’t a single grand effort. It’s not a moment of divine inspiration where the words pour out perfectly. It’s brick by brick, word by word, hauled one at a time until you have something solid. And let’s be honest—hauling bricks is not glamorous. It’s not fun. Some days, it’s backbreaking and dull. But it’s also the only way anything gets built.
The Illusion of the Perfect System
Every writer loves the idea that there’s a shortcut. Maybe if you just find the right writing software, or the perfect playlist, or the ideal morning routine, suddenly the words will flow like magic. And sure, some tools and systems help. But at the end of the day, no app or strategy will stack those bricks for you. You have to pick them up yourself.
And yet, people keep searching for ways to avoid the heavy lifting. They look for a “no-bricks” solution. A way to be a writer without doing the actual writing. But that doesn’t exist. Every successful writer—every single one—has gotten where they are by showing up, sitting down, and stacking words.
Why You Have to Haul the Bricks
At some point, you have to accept that there is no trick that makes this effortless. The only difference between people who succeed and people who don’t is that successful writers keep hauling bricks even when it sucks. They don’t wait until they feel like it. They don’t stop because they’re tired or uninspired. They don’t get distracted by the idea that maybe there’s an easier way.
They just show up and do the work.
Because here’s what happens when you haul bricks long enough: Eventually, you look up and realize you’ve built something. A chapter. A book. A whole damn career.
And the best part? Once you get used to the weight, it doesn’t feel so heavy anymore.
So, the question isn’t how do I make writing easier? The question is: Are you willing to haul the bricks?
Tracy Cooper-Posey
SRP Author and owner of The Productive Indie Fiction Writer
