The best writing advice is so simple that I have to say it over and over again. It's so simple that I have to repeat it when other people say it. It's so simple that I have to beat it into my skull every busy busy week like the week I'm stuck in right now.
Here it is, again. We are writers. Therefore, we must be sitting at our writing desks writing absolutely every chance we get.
Gordon Hurd will set you straight with this inspiring post about this very subject. He mentions a book that we must all track down soon. Dig it, dig it:
"no matter how much you want to stop writing after that first good sentence or page or scene, keep going. Stay in the room even though your coffee is cold. Stay in the room even though the phone is ringing. Stay in the room to write your first draft."
He's paraphrasing the writing handbook, Ron Carlson Writes a Story. The book was written by author and creative writing teacher Ron Carlson. It's easy enough to say "Stay at your writing table," but much harder to do.
How do you convince yourself to keep writing after a long long day?
Ask yourself why you want to run away. Is it because things are going well? Is it because things are going poorly? Whatever the answer, take it and chuck it over your shoulder. In the end, it doesn't matter why you don't want to write. You MUST write. Get back to the keyboard! :)
Posted by: How Not To Write | October 25, 2007 7:35 PM | Permalink to Comment