Episode 35: This One Habit Might Change How You Write Fiction
Why Doing “Nothing” is Productive for Your Fiction Writing
When was the last time you did nothing?
I’m not talking about scrolling your phone or checking emails while waiting in line. I mean really doing nothing—just letting your mind wander.
Some years ago, I came across a quote from an entrepreneur who advised you to, “Take one hour a day where you do absolutely nothing but sit and think.”
There’s something powerful in that.
IIn this episode of The Confident Fiction Author podcast, I’m sharing why stepping away might be exactly what you need to move forward in your writing, and how doing less can actually unlock more.
It’s not about laziness. It’s about giving your creative brain space to do its best work.
P.S. This episode contains a big announcement about the podcast! Tune in for details.
Listen to The Confident Fiction Author Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you can find podcasts.
Episode 35 Transcript
Hey there, my friend, and welcome to this week's episode of the Confident Fiction Author podcast. I'm your host, Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer.
And today, I'm going to be talking about why doing nothing might be the most productive thing for your fiction writing.
Now, before I get into this, let me just share a couple of things that are going on with me and my writing life and my personal life.
I've had a lot on my plate this year, as I'm sure you can relate to. It's just, you feel like you're in busy seasons and then you're getting out of the busy season and then you're like, nope, here's another busy season.
And I'm going to talk about that a little bit more in next week's episode. But that's just kind of how this year has been for me.
I've not had a lot of breathing space, especially since I'm still on the caregiving team for my cousin who has been going through her cancer journey.
And just this past week, she had an issue. And so it's taken a couple of extra trips into her doctor. And that's been on me.
Juggling Life and Projects
So it's just that—between that and the car accident. I did share that my mom and I were in a car accident a couple of months ago.
We also have a really big personal project that we're working on together and a really big new creative project that we're working on—actually projects. And I'm not going to talk about them just yet, but hopefully I'll get to talk about that in upcoming episodes.
So I've got that going and I've just had this burning desire to really get more deeply back into my own fiction writing and up my word count and really get some books written that have been on my heart and been on my mind for several years.
The Four-Burner Stove Analogy
So, got a lot of this stuff going on. I talk about the four-burner stove analogy.
I've mentioned that a few times in older podcast episodes, but it's like life. You have four burners on the stove, right?
And I talk about how you could have these projects going and all, but you really want to limit to what will fit on your stove. And at that point, you've got to think:
Does this need to go in the oven?
Does this need to go in the fridge for a while?
Do I need to take this off the stove?
And also defining what needs to be on the back burner or the front burner.
Inflatable Hot Tub Wisdom
So I was talking about some of these things with my mom last night—in our hot tub.
I don't think I've mentioned this yet, but we got—hold the phone here—we got an inflatable hot tub. Y'all, this is legit.
We thought this is going to be like a blow-up kiddie pool. Like what's the point?
We're really big hot tub people. Like, we will go stay at a hotel specifically if they have a working hot tub. Like, that's a deciding factor for us.
So just off on the rabbit trail there—if you've ever thought about getting an inflatable hot tub, do check them out. We love ours.
Deciding Not to Quit
So we were in there and I was talking to her about some of the things that I have going, and she really helped me think through all this stuff in life and kind of what's overwhelming me.
And I had a thought yesterday of needing to put the podcast on pause for a while because it's just—I feel like I just can't pull out of all of these things that I have going, and I'm just not really doing all of the things well that I want to do.
And she kind of put my own analogy back to me about the stovetops.
Reframing: Don’t Quit, Just Reduce
Also, I talk about this in a previous episode—about when to quit or when to just pull back or give up a project.
And that came to mind: it's not always that we need to quit something—maybe we just need to reduce it.
That's back in episodes 17, 18, and 19. I really talk about applying the 80/20 rule to your author career and how to know what to quit and when to quit and how to do it.
So one of the things with that is not so much quitting but reducing what you're doing—and look at if you can do that.
A New Podcast Rhythm
So she just asked me, “Well, could you just do one podcast episode a month or maybe every other week?”
And I was like—bingo. That sounds a lot better than just having to put the podcast on pause for a while.
I was like, I can do that. I can do a couple of episodes a month.
So I wanted to let you know, as one of my loyal listeners, that the Confident Fiction Author podcast is continuing, but I am going to reduce my obligation to it to every other week.
So that's coming and I just wanted to give you that heads-up that it will now be going to a bi-weekly schedule. And hopefully, I'll be able to return to weekly in the future.
But that's just the season that I'm in. And I want to just be able to do all the things that I want to do well, rather than trying to juggle too many things and full-on projects.
So I wanted to give you that heads-up—and also just let that be an encouragement: if there's something in your author life that you need to not necessarily quit, but maybe just reduce, so that it's not so overwhelming in this season that you're in.
Why Doing Nothing Might Be the Best Thing
Okay, so let's get into the content with today's podcast about why doing nothing—it might be the most productive thing for your writing.
Isn't it funny how some of the best ideas that we have come when you're not trying to come up with them?
Like when you're in the shower or doing dishes—and that story idea or the perfect solution to the plot problem that you were having—boom. It's just there.
You weren't sitting there trying to force it. You weren't at your computer or in your writing session, dictating on your phone, trying to work it out. It just comes to you when you're not doing anything—or when you're just doing mindless chores.
Great! Here’s the rest of your formatted podcast transcript, continuing from where we left off:
The Myth of Constant Hustle
All right, let's talk about the myth of constant hustle.
There is this common mindset among us fiction writers that we need to be writing more and thinking harder and always doing something to stay productive. And as long as we're doing that, we are being real authors and we're going to be confident in what we're doing.
And I do agree with that to an extent.
I love what—I think it was Charles Dickens that talked about, it might have been Mark Twain, I get my classic authors mixed up. But one of them said something like, “Yes, I only write when I'm inspired, and I'm inspired every morning at 9 AM when I sit down at my desk.”
And I'm like—that is true. We want to show up to our fiction writing seriously. We want to do it like it's a job almost. And that is always that balance, right? Of—do we treat it like a job versus—we're artists, we're creatives.
And so I do commend being disciplined and showing up for your writing. And that's why I teach my five-minute fiction habit.
When Doing Nothing Works Best
So—five-minute fiction writing habit—where you are touching your story every day and you're really making that progress and you're not letting those blocks that are really not there stop you. Like, you need to just get in there and get a little bit of fiction writing done. You can do it—all that kind of thing.
I do agree with that to an extent.
I also know that this can lead to burnout or creative block if you're really trying to force something that’s not there. And just doing it for the sake of productivity and hustle, keeping up with the next author, and trying to force something—really, what you may need to look at is taking a step back.
Because if you keep trying to force that and it just hasn't percolated long enough, it just hasn't stewed long enough—your story idea—maybe you need to give it time rather than continuing to try to force your writing. That can create blocks or burnout.
Thinking Time vs. Relaxation Time
So when ideas really show up for me are those times when I'm doing nothing. And I'm going to talk about thinking time versus relaxation time.
But a few examples of this are like—shower thoughts. I have been so tempted to take my phone to the shower. I have a waterproof cover that I can put on it and all that I use for out at the lake and at the ocean. But I have resisted that.
And same thing with the hot tub. I've been so tempted to take my phone out there and put the waterproof case on it and listen to music or podcasts and all. And I'm like, no—those times are golden.
Those are times when I am able to just really think—think through what is going on in my life or specifically with my fiction writing.
Scheduling Intentional Thinking
Other times ideas come to me are while driving. I've had some of my best story ideas come to me when I'm just letting my imagination play.
And I think just being outside is very helpful for my creativity. A lot of my long drives are in Oklahoma. So I'm driving to our different places and our Choctaw lands. I'm very inspired honestly whenever I'm in those spots.
Driving time, cooking time, walks, folding the laundry—even massages.
And let me talk about that—because massage falls more into relaxation time, but it can also be thinking time. There's a difference.
Relaxation is restoring my body and mind. Thinking time is intentional space for reflection, strategy, and fresh ideas.
If you're constantly moving from task to task, email to email, to-do list item to the next—you don’t have time to actually think.
Dictation Doesn’t Mean Rush
I think about dictation—which you probably know, I dictate all of my fiction. I've done that for my past several books.
And something that a lot of authors—especially when they're just getting started with dictation—feel is pressure. Pressure to speak nonstop, as fast as they can, to get words on the page. Because after all, they’re dictating—and that’s the point, right?
I want to go faster, and I’m not allowed to stop and think.
But I want to say—give yourself permission to stop your dictation function and just sit there and think. Think about where the scene is. Think about the next sentence. Think about the setting.
You do not need to speak constantly once you start.
Simple Ways to Add Thinking Time
So let's talk about how to build thinking time into your writing life.
Yes, I mentioned one hour a day. But if that sounds impossible—especially if you’re a working parent or have lots of obligations—aim for shorter breaks without media.
For me, one of those times is when I first wake up. Instead of grabbing my phone and scrolling through email or social media while I'm still groggy, I broke that habit. Now I just think. I use that as quiet, reflective time.
Other ideas:
Take walks without podcasts or audiobooks
Have a designated “thinking place” (a porch, a park bench, a couch)
Tell your family, “I’m just thinking,” and let yourself be
And no, you’re not ignoring anyone—you’re giving your brain the chance to do its job.
Make Thinking Guilt-Free
So again, you may not be able to do one hour a day. I usually get about 30 minutes a day—maybe in the morning and again in the evening.
But even if that’s too much right now—aim for one hour a week.
Maybe it’s Saturday morning. Maybe it’s one evening. But plan for it and let yourself have that time to think about your story. Or even just your writing life—what do you want it to look like?
The key is: thinking is working.
You may feel guilty, like you're being unproductive. But thinking about your story isn’t procrastinating. It’s part of your creative process.
Final Invitation and Sign-Off
Okay, so I just want to wrap up by saying this: stopping to think is not delaying your story. It’s not being unproductive.
It’s a part of your fiction writing strategy.
Because sometimes, the best way to move your story forward is to walk away from it for a little while—and just think about it.
So that’s what I want to invite you to do this week. Schedule some time to think.
Whether it’s in the morning—just leaving your phone on the nightstand—or an hour-long walk where you leave the earbuds behind—do it. Give yourself that time.
And then, I would love to hear how it goes for you.
Reply to one of my emails or shoot me a message at hello@fictioncourses.com.
Drop a comment and let me know how you’re scheduling thinking time—and what kind of creative breakthroughs you’re having because of it.
That’s it for this week, my friend. I’ll see you in the next episode of the Confident Fiction Author Podcast.
Free resources for you:
The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: fictioncourses.com/toolkit
Dictation + Scrivener Power Combo Mini Course: fictioncourses.com/dictation
Dictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: fictioncourses.com/dictationguide
5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: fictioncourses.com/stereotypes