STL Writers Connect

-I don’t know who’s quote this is, but my blog was inspired by Russ’s entry “How I Formed The Writing Habit”

Twenty years ago, I wanted to write. My aunt told me that she thought it was a great idea…”when you write your first book, I will buy the first copy, and you can autograph it for me”, she said. My first fan! I thought I had plenty of material to work with until I sat down to write my book and found that it took so much time to organize my thoughts and put more than a page worth of words on paper at a session, that I so often felt uncreative and disappointed. I would say to myself, “I was hoping I had more talent than that, but it doesn’t really show up on paper”.

Sometimes it felt excruciating, and I often had what I know identify as writer’s block. So I found myself over the following years spending less and less time at the thing that I wanted so much to do. Just because I didn’t write didn’t mean that I didn’t want to. I just couldn’t find the time, and I didn’t think that I possessed the talent. I thought that when I came up with my next brilliant idea that I would find the time to sit and write it all down.

Later, I joined the military. I was in graduate school during this same time. I was forced to write papers for school. One of my instructors told me that I ought to consider writing professionally. I said “Oh, I’ve considered it before, but it didn’t work out for me.” She helped me publish my first article for a journal. I was absolutely thrilled when I got a check in the mail. I actually wasn’t even expecting it. But it gave me validation that I could write something and other people could possibly be interested in what I had to say. I was successful the second time because I did in the second attempt what I didn’t do in the first. I set aside a time that I would write and I stuck to it. This to me is one of the most important first steps to writing.

If you are serious about writing, you should set aside a designated time for it. “If you leave it catch-as-catch-can, it will become all too easy to catch nothing.”

Sometimes you have to force yourself and sometimes you even have to force the other people in your life to stick to the schedule. (That can be tricky sometimes ; ) I read once that it is actually more important to stick to the schedule than it is to write something brilliant at these writing sessions. Eventually the progress will be made. You will develop a discipline that will become one of your greatest strengths.

A person doesn’t become a concert pianist in a few weeks, but by setting aside time to practice and develop.

Find a place where you feel comfortable creating. If you need solitude, make it a quiet place. Or take a pen and paper to a place that you find inspiring. The trick is to find what works best for you, and don’t get defeated! I believe that everyone has a story worth telling.