Writers can be a forgetful crew. Not everyone has people and places crammed in their noggin alongside the daily To Do. Sometimes, stuff will slip. Our scatterbrains can only do so much.

Here’s a handy list of the top 10 most common things writers forget.

 

Writers forget to:

10: Wash Dishes

If your entire collection of coffee mugs isn’t lined up on your desk, you’re doing something wrong.

 

9: Read

Writers are supposed to be, like, really into books… so why do we have this much trouble making time to read any?

 

8: Back Up Files

The symbiotic relationship between writer and computer is a sacred bond of trust. To back up your manuscript on some external drive (or, worse, an online cloud) would only tarnish it.

 

7: Sleep

Inspiration is a capricious friend whose greatest amusement is keeping writers up past our bedtime. The sandman will have to wait his turn.

 

6: Go Outside

Sure, there are plenty of ideas to find out there in the wild, but exploring is counter-intuitive to the ascetic hermit lifestyle we try so hard to cultivate.

 

5: Use Our Words

Obsessing over obscure terms is a pleasurable pastime, but who actually uses ‘quorum’ in conversation?

 

4: Try New Things

Sure, sure. We’ve all heard that new experiences are good. But writers are so amazing at creating their own fun. Why go looking for trouble?

 

3: Write

Anyone can be a writer. All you need is an idea and some words. The catch: you actually have to sit down and write the thing.

 

2: Plan Ahead

Does it still count as “living in the moment” if the truth is you can’t see past the first draft jitters, editing notes from your beta, and all those mugs that still need washing?

 

1: Use Our Resources

The times change, our tools evolve, and expert help is more accessible than ever. And yet we harbor a stack of unused college ruled notebooks.

 

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What are you most guilty of forgetting to do?