March Slice of Life – Day 24: W

Today is Day 24 of the March Slice of Life – the daily writing challenge hosted at Two Writing Teachers.

W is for Writing

Advice given by writers over and over again stresses that the absolute must is writing daily.

From 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 these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.

To Anne Lamott

Butt in chair. Start each day anywhere. Let yourself do it badly. Just take one passage at a time. Get butt back in chair.

 to Larry L. King

Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting, read. I know of no shortcuts.

to Ray Bradbury

Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very pleasant careers.

– that advice is very telling.

I love Brian Clark’s “10 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer”:

Write.

Write more.
Write even more.
Write even more than that.
Write when you don’t want to.
Write when you do.
Write when you have something to say.
Write when you don’t.
Write every day.
Keep writing.”
Writing the daily slice has definitely helped with that.

But for too long, my writing has been haphazard. I get an idea, write it down and walk away. I think of a scene, write it down and file it.

I have taken part in a number of challenges and have taken a number of courses. But daily writing has not been consistent.

That talk of “monkey brain” or “inner editor” has a strong hold on me. I have so many stories in first draft – the revision and editing seems to be on hold. It’s as if that mean inner editor has determined my writing doesn’t deserve to be edited. Nobody would want it anyway.

But daily slices have encouraged me and made me excited about writing again. They may be short but they have been daily. I have even been writing other things as well and have started revising several stories.

The habit is forming and I have enjoyed the writing, the feedback and this wonderful community of writers.