Friday Thoughts On Writing

A writer is not always writing but they are constantly thinking about writing. You might see me pushing my cart down the aisle at the grocery store with a blank look on my face as I reach out for a box of cereal. Most likely, I am turning an idea for an essay over and over in my mind. If I stop to witness a mother and child conversation in another aisle, I'm probably considering using one of them as a character in a children's story. When I'm watching the news on tv, only half of my mind is on it while the other is probably mulling over a story idea. 

It's good to think about writing a lot but be careful not to fall into a trap. You might do far more thinking about writing than actual writing. You think about a new story you want to start. You think about an old story you know needs revisions. You think about submitting to this or that editor. You think about putting together a group of stories as an ebook. You think about what you can write for a contest you enter on an annual basis. The problem is that you might spend too much time thinking about it and not enough carrying through.

Louis L'Amour's quote above is simply good advice. Nothing is going to get written unless you sit down at the keyboard, or pick up pen and pad, and start writing. Start! That's the keyword. Doing a short writing exercise is a good way to get the creative juices ready. Do a 10 minute freewrite on a word you point to in a book. Do a photo prompt writing exercise. Consider it the same as an athlete who does stretches to warm up before they begin the real work. 

Once you've done the short writing exercise, you'll be more relaxed and ready to begin whatever project you have decided to work on. I find that when I get started writing, I want to keep on going. 

Try to write something every day, even if it is only a paragraph, or one scene, or a short poem. Write for two days, then skip a day, then write for three days, then skip two days and it becomes too easy to skip more days than you spend on actual putting words on paper or screen. Most of us tend to be creatures of habit. Develop the habit of writing every day and you'll be a more productive writer. 

I've often advised keeping a small notebook with you when away from home. If something you see moves you to write, get out your notebook. Whether a sentence, a paragraph or more, write it. Wait til you get home and it may be gone. We have to seize the moment. 

A member of my online writing group subbed a micro-essay about a simple thing she witnessed while riding on a commuter train. She saw something that most others on the train missed completely. She didn't just think about it; she wrote. 

Turn the faucet on. Let the words flow today and every day.