Write the notebooks; burn the notebooks
The physicality of writing and words that should never see the light
I’m not in the business of telling people how to write but if I were there are two things I’d recommend above anything else:
1. Develop a writing habit
2. Master the writing tools
I’m talking here about actual writing and I won’t delve into a questionable debate over what constitutes good writing, or quality, or craft, for the simple fact that if you can’t sit down and write a couple of pages more or less at will you don’t need to worry with anything that might have come after that writing that didn’t happen.
By developing a writing habit I mean the need to try to stick to a routine, of any kind, but this is something for another time as I’m interested in the second point, which means developing actual mechanical skills. Writing is an intellectual activity, yes, but before that it’s a physical activity and you need to master the tools of the trade before you can think of anything else. I have always thought that most writers would benefit more from a touch-typing course than from a creative writing degree — I don’t mean this hyperbolically. And the same goes for whatever interface you use to put words on a page: you need to master the tools.