07 May 2008

Just Do It Write

Here's one of my favorite situations. You're at a cocktail party, dinner, or some other social event and someone asks you what you do for a living. When you tell them, the first thing they say is, "Oh, I could write a book, easy."

Been there?

In my younger, less published days, I would not so patiently attempt to explain to the person that writing isn't as easy as it looks. That the best writing entails endless hours of rewriting. That the hardest work begins when the manuscript is finished.

And the response I'd usually get was a smug look and a, "Guess you're not as good a writer as you thought you were."

Now that I'm a mature adult with an established career, I take a more fulfilling, immature conversation route.

"Oh, I could write a book, easy."
"Uh huh."
"Really. Writing's a piece of cake for me."
"Great. Do it."
"I would, but I don't have the time right now."
"Whatever."

Short and sweet. No arguments. No explanations. No wasted energy. Makes me smile.

This type of conversation illustrates the critical difference between writers and wannabe writers. The wannabes are all talk. They posture. They discuss their ideas. They lament their hurdles to getting their projects complete. But they don't write.

Writers write. They know that even great ideas require effort to complete. They know that energy spent discussing their writing depletes their stores of energy for actually writing. They don't make excuses, they just do it. They write.

It's great to want to be a writer. That's the first step. But to avoid getting stuck as a wannabe, it takes action. Start a journal. Start a blog. Start a story. Outline a chapter. Get the creative juices flowing. Get the writing process in place. Do it.

Just do it write.

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