"And I have this little litany of things they can do. And the first one, of course, is to write - every day, no excuses. It's so easy to make excuses. Even professional writers have days when they'd rather clean the toilet than do the writing"

Octavia Butler is encouraging authors to compose every day, no matter what. She acknowledges that it can be tough to remain determined and that even professional writers have days when they would rather do anything else than write. She is suggesting that writers should have a "little list of things" they can do to remain motivated and that composing ought to be the first one. She is stressing that there is no excuse for not writing, which it is important to remain consistent and devoted to the craft. Writing is a skill that requires practice and devotion, and Octavia Butler is motivating authors to remain focused and to keep writing, no matter how challenging it may be.