Those of you who write fiction already know why this is important. You know that it’ll make your day feel better. You also may have, like me, been stressing out so hard about getting actual work that you just skip straight over the fiction because, “I can do that later.”

Well guess what? If you are a fiction writer–published, never-published, small-circulation published, whatever–then your whole day will go better if you spend even just thirty minutes a morning (or whenever your day starts) loosing yourself in that fiction. Or, for that matter, pounding your head on the desk over it.

Those of you who already write fiction know exactly what I’m talking about. Those who don’t–I promise there’s no need to subject yourself to the process if you’re not already obsessed with it.

If you are obsessed with it, go ahead and work on your obsession first thing. Your whole day will be less stressful, and the world will seem a little less adversarial.

Just a reminder from your friendly neighborhood crazed (fiction and article) writer.