How I’m Learning to Be a Prolific Writer

Psychology on building a body of work that matters

What does the word prolific mean to you?

At first, I believed it meant producing content at the expense of depth. Up until recently, I was a versatile writer, but my approach was scattered. I bounced between different areas—following quick interests, taking whatever freelance work appeared, building a diverse catalogue.

I told myself this scattered approach was smart. Necessary, even. This versatility felt right. It felt safe. But safety is often what limits growth.

Versatility = Comfort

What had once been freedom began to feel like fragility.

You might recognise this feeling:

• When work slows down.

• When you struggle to decide which opportunities to pursue.

• When nothing feels quite right.

Despite five years of putting words into the world, I had little that felt truly mine—no cohesive body of work I could point to and say: This is what I built.

The scattered bylines I'd collected? Disconnected from the writing that truly resonated with me.

This is what psychologists call decision fatigue—the mental exhaustion that comes from maintaining too many options. Each day requires reinventing your identity as a writer, depleting the very creative process needed to produce meaningful work.

Scarcity Mindset = Blocked Prolificacy