Obvious Advice, But Still Good: To Be a Writer, You Must Write
I realize the title of this article is completely simplistic.
It's the sort of "Zen like" simplicity, I think, that we all must face every day of our lives if we are writers.
We really must write.
It has always been very exciting, to me personally, to do research on a topic I want to write about.
Perhaps it's the latent historian in me, but I really enjoy researching and reading about all sorts of subjects and all sorts of historical settings.
I'm especially fond of Word War II history.
No, maybe I'm more fond of life in the Old West.
No, probably 16th Century England.
On the other hand, I really like to read and research the life and times of the Vikings.
And, I've actually taken several graduate level history classes about Mexico that were among my favorites for research and reading.
So.
You can see my obvious dilemma.
I absolutely love to do reading and research.
Indeed, I have four separate novels started, with everything from the first scene to the first chapter written.
In a couple of those would-be novels, I've written as far as the end of Chapter Four.
But in all my years of reading, researching, and planning--I've never yet completed a single novel manuscript.
What does that mean? It probably speaks to a lot of things about my personality, my lack of self-discipline, lack of focus, or whatever.
Above all else, it demonstrates the singular truth expressed in the title of this article: To be a writer, you must write.
You must write often and you must continue writing, from the start of a project to its finish.
(Well, all right, not necessarily from start to finish in a single project before starting others.
But you've got to consistently finish things, not just flit from one to the other--I say to myself.
) My biggest problem as a writer, whether we're talking about online writing, novel writing or nonfiction, is this: I am lazy.
And I have a short attention span, too, I guess.
I find it much easier to start a project, then just set it aside for the next, newer "shiny object" when one comes along.
So I'll tell you the same thing I'm telling myself as I write this article: Just get busy and write.
Keep writing.
Find a good writing exercise if you need one to make the juices flow and nimble up the old fingers, and repeat it every day to get started.
Then write.
And keep writing.
Join me in that determination, and we'll write something we'll all be proud of.
It's the sort of "Zen like" simplicity, I think, that we all must face every day of our lives if we are writers.
We really must write.
It has always been very exciting, to me personally, to do research on a topic I want to write about.
Perhaps it's the latent historian in me, but I really enjoy researching and reading about all sorts of subjects and all sorts of historical settings.
I'm especially fond of Word War II history.
No, maybe I'm more fond of life in the Old West.
No, probably 16th Century England.
On the other hand, I really like to read and research the life and times of the Vikings.
And, I've actually taken several graduate level history classes about Mexico that were among my favorites for research and reading.
So.
You can see my obvious dilemma.
I absolutely love to do reading and research.
Indeed, I have four separate novels started, with everything from the first scene to the first chapter written.
In a couple of those would-be novels, I've written as far as the end of Chapter Four.
But in all my years of reading, researching, and planning--I've never yet completed a single novel manuscript.
What does that mean? It probably speaks to a lot of things about my personality, my lack of self-discipline, lack of focus, or whatever.
Above all else, it demonstrates the singular truth expressed in the title of this article: To be a writer, you must write.
You must write often and you must continue writing, from the start of a project to its finish.
(Well, all right, not necessarily from start to finish in a single project before starting others.
But you've got to consistently finish things, not just flit from one to the other--I say to myself.
) My biggest problem as a writer, whether we're talking about online writing, novel writing or nonfiction, is this: I am lazy.
And I have a short attention span, too, I guess.
I find it much easier to start a project, then just set it aside for the next, newer "shiny object" when one comes along.
So I'll tell you the same thing I'm telling myself as I write this article: Just get busy and write.
Keep writing.
Find a good writing exercise if you need one to make the juices flow and nimble up the old fingers, and repeat it every day to get started.
Then write.
And keep writing.
Join me in that determination, and we'll write something we'll all be proud of.
