The Discipline of Writing
So, there was a post over on Fangs, Fur and Fey that caused quite the uproar. Okay, I might be exaggerating, but some people were miffed and angered by the post. I think the anger was caused because she was really only addressing those writers out there who want to make a career of it. Not the hobbyists. And there’s nothing wrong with hobby writers! I was one for a very long time.
It may be an unpopular opinion and I hope this doesn’t make anyone here angry, but I agree with what she is saying. If you want to take writing seriously (as a professional career), you should have the discipline to work at it. She says write every day, and while I agree with this, that isn’t really the point. The point is to make writing a priority. To make time for it. If you want to be a serious writer, be serious about writing. Approach it like a job. Approach it like a sport. Approach it like a musical instrument. Sometimes you take time off from all of these due to vacations, family illness, etc. But for the most part, you’re constantly working at it.
I write every day. I didn’t use to, but that was before I became serious about writing. Did I consider myself a writer then? No. I do now. Part of that is writing every single day. And sure, I’m busy just like everyone else. I have a full-time job, and I’m a part-time grad student. I have a boyfriend, two cats and friends. I also read every single day, if only for half an hour.
I’m going to give a comparison here.
I used to play ultimate frisbee in college. Every weekend, a group of us would get together to play. It was fun, and it was a hobby. I didn’t take it seriously. It was just something that I did in my spare time with my friends. But I wasn’t an ultimate frisbee player. Why not? Because I didn’t dedicate myself to it, and I didn’t make it a priority. If I did, I would have been playing at least three times a week, if not more. And if I had done that, even if I wasn’t getting any sort of acclaim for it, I would have called myself an ultimate frisbee player. But not by just playing when I had the time every now and then.
And here’s a less “serious” example. I drink coffee every single day. I’m pretty serious about having my coffee every day. It’s not pretty when I don’t. So, I’m definitely a coffee drinker. Someone who drinks coffee once every couple of weeks isn’t really a coffee drinker.
Anyway, I’m getting distracted by the naming again because that’s what people were getting upset about on Lilith’s post, but that still isn’t really the point. The point is, if you want to be a writer, then you need to write. A lot.
This isn’t a new concept either. Plenty of writers have said this repeatedly.
Ray Bradbury: “You must write every single day of your life.”
Stephen King: “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around those two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”
“I suggest a thousand words a day, and because I’m feeling magnanimous, I’ll also suggest that you can take one day a week off, at least to begin with. No more.”
Janet Evanovich: “Make writing a responsibility. Think of it like a job and show up on time.”
“Look. Nobody finds it easy to sit at a desk all day. It’s lonesome, and it’s hard, and it’s scary. Being a professional is learning to be at your desk even when you don’t feel like it. It’s facing that blank screen and making yourself put some words where there are none. It’s writing every day, even if it’s a single line.”
David Eddings: “If you’re worried about how much this will interfere with a normal life, take up something else. If you decide to be a writer, your life involves sitting at your desk. This is what you do to the exclusion of all else, and there aren’t any guarantees.”
I could keep finding quotes, but I”ll stop here.
What Lilith is saying is just what these other writers are saying. Someone who wants to be a writer should approach writing with discipline, just like anything else would be approached. I think the post was meant to be inspirational. To get you to sit down and write. That’s what writers do.
Filed under: procrastination, time-management, writing
I heard about Lilith’s post on another blog yesterday and meant to go read it. Thanks for bringing it my attention again. I think she’s absolutely right. (And that one guy in the comments has some issues that have nothing to do with her post - why else would he get so mad?)
Anyway, the post reminded me of something my husband said before we got married (and before I’d finished my first book). He said, “If you want to write, then write.” Simple, but so true. I’ve been forgetting that lately with all of life intruding on my writing time. Time to remember it, get the whip out and sit my hiney down to get some writing done.
Thanks again, Jen. =o)
You know, I don’t really get this. Maybe I’m stoopid. Writers write. That’s what they do. I also consider myself a writer above all else; but I do it every day. This is around researching different aspects, letting my mind duke out who is the next project, a husband in another city, taking care of the entire house, cats and travelling four hours to work every day.
Everyone’s life is busy, but when you make the distinction of yourself as a writer, you must rise above it. Now that is my two cents. Don’t spend it all in one place. LOL
I see you’re really rockin’ your MS! V. cool! Next big question: will you let it sit for a month as S. King recommends? I do believe I will let mine sit at least 2-3 weeks. Then big edit read-through, then it goes to the Beta readers.
Thanks for the excellent idea for the agent queries, BTW:
Jaekabee: I think I’m going to fight the urge to rush into edit mode and let it sit for at least a week. I’ll do a big edit and then send it out to others for their thoughts. It’ll probably go through a couple of edits after that. And then what? Query time!