...about writing

Write every day.  That’s what every accomplished writer says is the key to overcoming the obstacles associated with the process.  Even when you don’t feel like it or you feel you have nothing ‘in the tank’ keep writing.

I know that it is the ‘write’ thing to do, but sometimes the personal obstacles are just too present to be able to clear away the minutia long enough to express a coherent thought.  When that happens I find myself writing about writing.

It has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember.  When I first learned the art of spelling and sentence structure (does anyone really understand sentence structure) I can remember writing.  Poetry, songs, and short stories were the first to come to light and then the attempt at a novel.  This was all before the beginning of 8^th grade.  I remember writing a sci-fi story about babies being born with an expiration date of 35 years old and one man’s struggle to find a way to remove the chip that would ultimately spell the end of his existence.  I also remember writing a complete Hardy Boys book about an adventure they had in Hawaii.  The sad thing is that this was long before dongles and auto save.  It was in the age of pen and paper.

What I learned most about the art of writing and the creative process is that the less distractions that one has in life the more prolific a writer can be.  The more it is necessary to work to pay the bills, or raise children, or have a social calendar, the less likely it is that you will find quality time to write. 

When you read some of the greats (contemporary) you can see why they are so prolific.  Churning out 1 or two books a year that have great story lines.  They had a moment when that first success allowed them to have that second, third, and so on.

When writing pays the bills, and it becomes the “job,” some writers excel.  I believe that is because they are (one) truly talented, and (two) don’t have the outside noise that keeps telling them that some bill is delinquent.

Of course that is an oversimplification. ALL writers have blocks.  They, we, all meet that wall at the end of a dark alley and have to find a way to scale it.  But in the long run, persistence and tenacity will have the victory.  The ones that crumble before the wall…they have ‘non-writing’ jobs.