Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Sit down and write...



Anyone who is a writer knows how difficult writing a book can be. It's painful, heartbreaking, exciting, thrilling, soul-crushing...and so much more. As a famous book begins (worded a bit differently), It's the best of times, it's the worst of times. So, so true.
But exactly how does a book get written? Do magical faeries climb into a writer's head, pull out the words, and drop them onto blank paper, moving them and shaping them into beautiful prose? Or maybe writers slip into states of catatonia, feverishly writing down stories in the midst of beautiful darkness?

Of course not. Nothing's that easy.

No, a book is written just as any other "job" is done: with hard work. It takes time, and patience, and skill, and creativity, and on and on and on. The list of requirements really could become endless if you let it. But above all these things, the one thing that sits higher than any other is this: write.

Yes, it really is that easy (once you peel away all the layers of "stuff"). Simply, write. Pull out a pen/pencil and paper, or boot up your PC or Mac, and start writing. That's all it takes. That story that's rolling around in your head, competing for space with bills and kids' commitments and tonight's dinner, simply needs to be let out. So let it out, already. Trust me, once you start, you won't want to stop.

And don't be scared that your work won't be as good as someone else's, or that a publisher or agent won't like it, or that you've never written anything before so you shouldn't start now. None of that matters right now. That's not the reason you wrote it all down in the first place. You write because it's thrilling and exciting. You write because it's a release for your emotions. You write because you have a story to tell. You write because you like it.

You write because you have to.

So quit reading this lame blog post and start writing...you'll be glad you did!

4 comments:

Jordan Dane said...

You suckered me into reading that last line, Jamie. So what are you doing reading my comment? Hmmmmm? Why aren't you writing?

How did you learn the craft of writing? Did you teach yourself, read books, attend workshops and conferences? I've never asked you, but I'd love to know. Everyone's author journey is different, yet has common ground.

Jamie Manning said...

haha! Well you got me there, JD. ;-)

I never learned. lol! Of course, I'm still learning, more and more every day, but I read a couple of books and attended a conference, and then it's just trial and error, you know? Yeah, I chose the hard way. ;-D

Jordan Dane said...

You did, but that makes your success all the more amazing. Countless people want to be published by a company that would invest in their talent. You achieved that. Kudos, buddy.

And writing, and finishing what you start, are great lessons in perseverance. Nice post.

Sechin Tower said...

Excellent advice!

It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes. Barbara Kingsolver said "There is no perfect time to write, there is only now."

A very inspirational post. Thanks, Jamie!