(IMPORTANT NOTE: I forgot to say this in the video. While you’re doing your task for today—the mundane task—do NOT think about your book. Let your mind wander!)
Good morning, and welcome to Day 10.
Today we’re doing something a little different, and there’s a very good reason for that.
It’s Sunday, it’s Day 10, and you are officially 1/3 of the way through this challenge…and we’re taking a day to let your brain marinate, to let it take a breath, and to give you a little bit of space.
This isn’t time off from writing; it’s part of becoming a writer.
And it’s important.
Before anything else, I want to say this clearly:
If you are still here on day ten, actively participating, take a moment and celebrate yourself. That’s huge.
This is usually the point where things start to feel harder.
There’s more information coming in, more moving pieces, and the work starts to feel real. Your brain can feel a bit fried. A bit murky. And that familiar resistance can creep in:
I don’t think I can do this
my idea isn’t good enough
maybe I’m not a real writer after all
If that’s happening for you right now, you are not doing anything wrong.
You’re doing exactly what writers do.
It fits perfectly with what we just talked about yesterday: the refusal of the call.
Right now, some of that hesitation or resistance might be showing up not just in your story, but in you. That’s what we’re working with today.
Writing a book is a marathon, not a sprint
One of the biggest things people underestimate about writing a book is how much time it takes simply to think.
There’s the active side of writing—plotting, drafting, editing, making decisions. And then there’s the passive side, which is just as important.
This is the part where you stare at the wall, go for a walk, wash dishes, or do something repetitive while your brain quietly works in the background.
When we’re actively writing, we’re lighting up a lot of neural pathways. That creative tap is fully on, and it takes energy.
Over time, that gets exhausting for your brain. If you never turn the tap off, it doesn’t refill.
What most people don’t realise is that when you step away—when you give your brain a break from input—your story doesn’t stop working.
It keeps clicking along quietly in the background. And very often, that’s when things start to make sense. That’s when ideas connect and when something you’ve been stuck on suddenly loosens.
So today is about creating space for that to happen.
Your main task today (30 minutes)
Your primary task today is simple, and it happens away from the computer.
Take 30 minutes and do a mundane, repetitive activity that takes very little brain power. Something ordinary, physical, or familiar.
And while you’re doing it: let your mind wander. DO NOT THINK ABOUT YOUR BOOK.
This could be:
cleaning or tidying
organising a cupboard
cooking or baking
going for a long walk or a run
taking a bath
doing something repetitive with your hands
The key rule is this: no outside input.
No podcasts.
No audiobooks.
No conversations.
No scrolling.
If complete silence feels like too much, quiet instrumental music—something without lyrics—is fine. The goal is to give your brain nothing new to process.
Let yourself drop into that slightly meditative state where you’re doing something simple and your mind can wander.
Let. Your. Mind. Wander.
Do NOT think about your book while you’re doing this.
Also…
Alongside that, I want you to spend a little time reconnecting with why you’re here.
Why did you sign up for this challenge?
Why does writing a book matter to you?
Why do you want to be an author?
This doesn’t have to be profound or polished. But think about this actively after your 30-minute mundane task.
When you come back: what to post
When you’re back at your computer, I want you to leave a comment with two things:
What mundane task did you do for your 30 minutes?
What did you reconnect with about why you’re here?
That’s it. Just tell me what you did, and what reminded you why this matters.
I’m also opening up the chat today as a space to talk about what it’s like to live an artistic life: how we balance effort and rest, how we turn the creative tap off and on, and what practices help us stay in this for the long haul.
Before you go
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, muddled, or quietly wondering whether you can keep going, let today be a breath.
Writing a book is not about talent or having everything figured out. Books get written because people are persistent, consistent, and willing to stay with the work when it gets uncomfortable.
Even when what’s coming out feels messy.
Even when it feels slow.
Even when you’re not sure it’s good yet.
You show up. You keep going. And at some point—and I promise this is true: things start to click.
So today, take the breather. Let your brain do its quiet work. And, as always…
Just keep swimming.
I’ll see you on Monday, and we’ll hit the ground running again.
Shelly x
