What reminder do you post over your desk for writing? Most of us probably post things that we often forget and wish we hadn’t.

I got to thinking about this question at a writers’ conference when Michael Grunwald, from Time Magazine and formerly The Washington Post, said he had taped a sign over his computer: “So?”

Grunwald wanted to remind himself that everything he put in his book (The Swamp) had to make a larger point than the message of the passage itself. He then said that a colleague had a sign over his desk with another key point: “What’s next?” That is, what’s the next question that will draw readers through the text?

Spurred by Grunwald’s comment, I searched a bit and found a few more writers who revealed their deskside signposts. From Jane Yolen, who writes both fiction and nonfiction: “Value the process, not the product.” In other words, enjoy the writing as you go. Good advice for staying sane.

From Jill McCorkle, a fiction author: “When the horse is dead, get off of it!” In other words, if the piece of writing you’re working on is going nowhere, cut your losses. McCorkle points out that you still learn a lot, even if you have to throw text away.

From Melissa Jones, a fiction author: “A messy first draft is the sign of a brilliant mind.” Good advice: Don’t stop writing owing to warts and deformities. You can fix them later. Keep the text flowing.

Other signage that came up in the search: “Do not confuse effort with results,” “You have my permission to write crap.” And the classic for journalists: “If your mother says she loves you, check it out”—that is, ignore fact checking at your peril.

As for me, on my screen I have posted “omm.” That means, “one-minute meditation.” In other words: Relax! Focus! A relaxed mind is stronger—able to make more metaphorical connections, remember details better, and synthesize unlike thoughts more easily.

[Revised January 2020. Originally published March 20, 2012]