Leave Yourself a Light On

The Simple Habit that Makes Tomorrow's Writing Easier

There's a specific kind of "morning-after" dread that every writer knows: staring at a blank screen, waiting for the engine to turn over.

A few years ago, I leaned into a piece of advice that completely changed my workflow: leave yourself a light on—stop writing while the going is good.

It sounds paradoxical. When the words are flowing, and you know exactly how the scene ends, the instinct is to power through. But if you empty the tank today, you’ll be starting from zero tomorrow.

By stopping mid-flow—specifically when you know exactly what happens next—you give yourself a "warm start." You aren't staring at a void; you’re just picking up a thread you intentionally left behind.

But don’t just close the doc. Spend 60 seconds jotting down 2-3 bullet points about the next beat. Whether it’s a line of dialogue or a specific argument for an essay, leave yourself a breadcrumb trail.

Tomorrow, you'll be much more likely to sit down and start typing if the first step is already paved.