Olivia O’Ryan—Author
@oliviaoryanwrites.bsky.social
Writer/author—interested in authorship, author business, productivity, procrastination, building community and audience. #WriterThreads #BookThreads
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Ok introductions. Hi, I’m Olivia, and I used to work in corporate as a process documenter/engineer in relation to productivity.
I wanted to branch out into writing because as I quickly discovered in my career, the act/art of writing itself is a peculiar process and not one that can be “machined”.
I wanted to branch out into writing because as I quickly discovered in my career, the act/art of writing itself is a peculiar process and not one that can be “machined”.
What's the one thing that keeps you from sitting down for 20 minutes and writing? Is it fear? Exhaustion? The belief that it won't matter? I'm curious what holds you back.
November 18, 2025 at 5:55 AM
What's the one thing that keeps you from sitting down for 20 minutes and writing? Is it fear? Exhaustion? The belief that it won't matter? I'm curious what holds you back.
The best time to write is the time you'll actually do it. Morning, midnight, lunch break—it doesn't matter. Consistency matters.
November 18, 2025 at 4:12 AM
The best time to write is the time you'll actually do it. Morning, midnight, lunch break—it doesn't matter. Consistency matters.
What small habit could you build this week to support your writing? Five minutes of journaling? Reading before bed? Start small.
November 18, 2025 at 3:15 AM
What small habit could you build this week to support your writing? Five minutes of journaling? Reading before bed? Start small.
Productivity isn't about being busy—it's about being intentional. Doing what matters, not just what's loud.
November 18, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Productivity isn't about being busy—it's about being intentional. Doing what matters, not just what's loud.
Finished is better than perfect. Always. A completed rough draft beats an imaginary masterpiece every time.
November 18, 2025 at 1:11 AM
Finished is better than perfect. Always. A completed rough draft beats an imaginary masterpiece every time.
You already have the time. It's hiding in the scroll, the snooze, the "just one more episode." We make time for what matters to us.
November 17, 2025 at 2:52 AM
You already have the time. It's hiding in the scroll, the snooze, the "just one more episode." We make time for what matters to us.
What story lives in you that only you can tell? The one shaped by your specific experience, your particular wounds, your unique perspective?
November 16, 2025 at 11:07 PM
What story lives in you that only you can tell? The one shaped by your specific experience, your particular wounds, your unique perspective?
The obstacle: Distractions. The solution: Airplane mode and a timer. Twenty minutes of focused attention in a distracted world is revolutionary.
November 16, 2025 at 6:56 PM
The obstacle: Distractions. The solution: Airplane mode and a timer. Twenty minutes of focused attention in a distracted world is revolutionary.
What does resistance look like for you? Name it. Then write anyway. Resistance doesn't disappear—you just learn to write through it.
November 16, 2025 at 5:21 PM
What does resistance look like for you? Name it. Then write anyway. Resistance doesn't disappear—you just learn to write through it.
Twenty minutes of focused work beats hours of distracted effort. Presence matters more than duration. Quality over quantity.
November 16, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Twenty minutes of focused work beats hours of distracted effort. Presence matters more than duration. Quality over quantity.
The blank page isn't empty—it's waiting. The difference between a writer and someone who wants to write? Twenty minutes of showing up. That's it. That's the whole secret.
November 16, 2025 at 2:25 AM
The blank page isn't empty—it's waiting. The difference between a writer and someone who wants to write? Twenty minutes of showing up. That's it. That's the whole secret.
Time blocking works. Twenty minutes for writing. Everything else can wait. The laundry will still be there. Your words won't wait forever.
November 16, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Time blocking works. Twenty minutes for writing. Everything else can wait. The laundry will still be there. Your words won't wait forever.
What if 20 minutes was enough? What if you didn't need hours of uninterrupted time? What if small, consistent effort was the answer all along?
November 15, 2025 at 9:11 PM
What if 20 minutes was enough? What if you didn't need hours of uninterrupted time? What if small, consistent effort was the answer all along?
You don't need inspiration. You need a timer and a willingness to be average for 20 minutes. Inspiration visits the people who show up.
November 15, 2025 at 5:30 PM
You don't need inspiration. You need a timer and a willingness to be average for 20 minutes. Inspiration visits the people who show up.
What would you tell yourself a year from now if you didn't write today? Would future you understand, or would they wish you'd started?
November 15, 2025 at 4:50 PM
What would you tell yourself a year from now if you didn't write today? Would future you understand, or would they wish you'd started?
The obstacle: Perfectionism. The solution: Lower your standards for the first draft. Give yourself permission to be terrible. You can fix terrible.
November 15, 2025 at 4:35 AM
The obstacle: Perfectionism. The solution: Lower your standards for the first draft. Give yourself permission to be terrible. You can fix terrible.
What would you write if you weren't trying to impress anyone? Not agents, not readers, not your writing group. Just you and the truth.
November 15, 2025 at 3:58 AM
What would you write if you weren't trying to impress anyone? Not agents, not readers, not your writing group. Just you and the truth.
The magic isn't in the muse—it's in the mundane commitment to show up. Every day. Inspired or not. Ready or not.
November 15, 2025 at 2:55 AM
The magic isn't in the muse—it's in the mundane commitment to show up. Every day. Inspired or not. Ready or not.
If you wrote one page a day, you'd have 365 pages in a year. One page. That's it. Not a chapter. Not perfection. One page.
November 15, 2025 at 1:22 AM
If you wrote one page a day, you'd have 365 pages in a year. One page. That's it. Not a chapter. Not perfection. One page.
If you wrote 250 words a day, you'd have a 90,000-word manuscript in a year. What are you waiting for? Permission? This is it.
November 14, 2025 at 5:44 PM
If you wrote 250 words a day, you'd have a 90,000-word manuscript in a year. What are you waiting for? Permission? This is it.
Stillness has a sound. Listen long enough and you'll hear yourself again. In the quiet between tasks, your real voice emerges.
November 14, 2025 at 5:31 AM
Stillness has a sound. Listen long enough and you'll hear yourself again. In the quiet between tasks, your real voice emerges.
The 20-Minute Writing Habit isn't about speed. It's about showing up before resistance wakes up, before doubt has time to build its case against you.
November 14, 2025 at 4:19 AM
The 20-Minute Writing Habit isn't about speed. It's about showing up before resistance wakes up, before doubt has time to build its case against you.
Twenty minutes of writing today is better than planning for hours you'll never take. Stop planning. Start writing. Now.
November 14, 2025 at 3:31 AM
Twenty minutes of writing today is better than planning for hours you'll never take. Stop planning. Start writing. Now.
Time management isn't about finding time—it's about defending it. Protecting those 20 minutes like they matter, because they do.
November 14, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Time management isn't about finding time—it's about defending it. Protecting those 20 minutes like they matter, because they do.
The obstacle: "I don't know what to write." The solution: Write that. Start there. "I don't know what to write but I'm writing anyway..."
November 14, 2025 at 1:20 AM
The obstacle: "I don't know what to write." The solution: Write that. Start there. "I don't know what to write but I'm writing anyway..."