What does "Don't Get It Right, Get It Written" really mean?

The title of this blog, Don't Get It Right, Get It Written, refers to my mindset when I start a project or am attempting to make progress on a writing project. It's a reminder that the most important task is to get the words down. I try not to let that soft (or sometimes loud) voice that can ask all kinds of questions, such as, "Why are you doing this? Will anyone really care about reading this? Is this really worth the effort? Would my time be better used for..." 

Anyone who has sat down to write anything is often plagued by doubt. But the best way to overcome this is through perseverance and determination. Just sit and write. Ignore those doubts, and get the words down. Once they're down, then the editing can begin. I can find myself very surprised after a morning of working on a chapter that I didn't think was going well only to be shocked when I reread the pages the next morning. Often, they will seem much better than I thought and show promise that will improve with editing.

I also use a writing calendar, which keeps me motivated. I note the number of words I wrote that day and then add them to the running total at the bottom of the daily box. I am usually surprised by how much progress I have made when I add up the words at the end of the week.

Here are the writing calendars for my second book in the Adventure USA series, MASSACHUSETTS! The Stolen Spyglass. As you can see, the progress was slow but steady.

(Additionally, when I skip a day, that stark empty box or a big "X," with no word number in it is a blaring reminder that I missed a day.)