They start off making good points that I found myself nodding my head in agreement with when I read them. You have to practice your writing, don't worry about making it a steadfast routine, you have to put more than time into your writing sessions. If you only put your time into it and do it dutifully - then you're only being a goody-two-shoes instead of being someone who is practicing their craft. And then they said "Be willing to put your whole life on the line when you sit down for writing practice."
I know the pen is mightier than the sword, but I didn't think I was going to battle to maybe lose my life whenever I sat down in my little corner desk and journaled, or wrote part of a chapter in my notebook. Is the FBI watching me there, too? That statement sort of put a bad taste in my mouth and I thought that the rest of the small passage would be just as dramatic. To my delight, the author took 3 pages to apply general life advice to writing - the kind that should be common sense but that no one would pay attention to anyway.
In sum, they want you to be flexible, don't hold steadfast to rules. Be honest with yourself and if your heart isn't in it, then don't try to force yourself to sit down and write, the only way you'll improve is if you put your mind and motivation into your words. If you feel like you're stuck then assess your situation - what you're happy and unhappy with - and make any necessary changes.
How pure. Makes me feel warm and content. But the author isn't wrong. However, they it kinda seemed like they were tearing down the rule from the start. They stressed flexibility - and I believe in that too - so I think that a good compromise would be to try to write every day, but don't be concerned about it when you can't.
From experience, I would go through cycles of writing like a mad scientist to not writing for months, and in those months I would feel tremendously guilty for leaving gaps in my journal dates, updates in chapters of a story I'm writing, or unfinished projects.
But if I forced myself to sit down and write, then only my worst work would come out of me because I put myself in a vicious cycle of resentment. And then I hated that I put myself in that situation. It took me a long time to sort of come to terms with the fact that I needed breaks every once in a while. My mental state isn't always in prime condition to write, sometimes life gets too busy - like when I'm in school - and I don't realistically have the time, and sometimes I would just really rather be fat and happy in my bed with Chinese food bingeing a show. I needed to be okay with that. After all, I could find other ways to practice without actually writing.
That's something I'm surprised the author of Goody-Two-Shoes didn't mention; there's more than one way to practice writing other than actually writing. What about reading? One can read and practice both the logistics as writing as well as the creativity of it. Writing something of the horror genre? Read a Stephen King book. Want to solidify your skills? Read a story some writer posted online and make edits either as you go or print it out and mark it up with a red pen (it's actually one of my favorite pastimes right next to shutting my alarm off in my sleep). I think reading is an important process to writing - even more important than the act of writing. You can gain so much from reading; reading is a writer's lecture hall. In order to be able to know what you're writing, you have to be able to read and know that what you're writing is comprehensible and good.
So write. Write as often as you can. Then take a break and read for a while. Read a book, read online, read your sister's diary. Then come back when you're ready, write and see what you've learned by re-reading what you've written. Just don't be a goody-two-shoes.
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