Just Write!

Why it is Prevalent Advice

After years of reading blogs and books or listening to podcasts to help my authors there is one common bit of wisdom that writers seem to avoid. It's been in bold, italics, set by itself or so many other ways which are not subtle. Yet, there are writers still following blogs and podcasts or buying books and magazines on "How to Write a Book!"

Let's distill what all of these authorities keep saying, repeatedly:

Just Write

Honestly, it's not easier said than done. It's something you do, without talking about it, thinking about it, planning it, arranging around it or even worrying about it. As a matter of fact, you are not writing a book at this point you are just telling a story. So the mantra is: Write the story. Write the story. Write the story.

Just Write

It's going to be ugly, even monstrous. Your rough draft should be horrible, warty and slimy. It should have so many typos and grammatical errors that your word nerd friends would cringe. It should have plenty of sections which don't make sense or are just plain wrong. You heard me, it should be wrong. Inaccurate descriptions, incorrect information and completely wrong words. 

Just Write

Who cares if you have the right tech? Use the voice memo function of your smart phone to get your ideas out then transcribe the ideas into notepad or word. If you'd like to use software, that's great. Yet don't get stuck on all the functions that you can do with the software, just use it to put something together. Don't get lost outlining, or creating your character sketches, or... , or...

Just Write

Not one published author wrote the perfect book on the first try. They wrote a terrible draft that no one got to see, revised it as best they could - possibly twice, sent it to beta readers, revised it again after getting the betas' feedback, sent it to the content editor, revised with those notes, sent it to the line editor, revised with those notes and finally sent it to the copy editor to format. Mind you some of them even send it to a proofreader before sending a manuscript to their copy editor. Phew!

So why try to do the work ahead of time to write the perfect book when you're going to have to make changes and revisions later on?

Just Write

Let the rest of us worry about making it pretty and ready for public consumption. We just want you to focus on getting a story out. Write the story that's buzzing insistently to get out, write the story which distracts you throughout the day as it flutters back and forth, write the story you need to tell. I want to read it, but I can't if you don't

Just Write

Birthdays...

Today is my youngest sister's birthday! I sent her a birthday wish on Facebook and will call later today. My mother's birthday is in a couple more days. On top of this my son's birthday is a week and a half away. Folks talk about the end of holiday craziness, in our house there is no end. In our house there are only lulls which are more like a rest in the eye of the storm.

It makes me think about celebrations, now having been through the big party season, and how differently each family does things. It also makes me feel a little sad for things that I can't change. Typically "can't" is a dirty word in my house. This time, however, it fits because there is literally nothing I can do to change something that has already happened and I wasn't around for anyway. I can and will do things to give someone a bit of the experience I think they missed out on... wait i'm getting ahead of myself.

I celebrate my birthday. I mean I try to. I like making a big deal about it, granted it would be nice if other people did this for me but again I digress. Birthdays are another reason to celebrate all the different things we have 'holidays' for throughout the year. They are a time to be thankful for getting through another year, sharing time with friends and family. They are a time to show the people around you that you love them and vice versa. They are also mini Mother/Father's Day for us as parents. Why would anyone not want to use the excuse of their birth to get together with friends, eat, drink and make merry?

The answer to that question is, unfortunately, those people who were never taught that the day they were born is a reason to celebrate. I know way too  many people who have not had the pleasure of having their father dress up as a clown (hobo style) and entertain their friends. Way too many people have not had their parents take off on a "birth day date". Way too many people have not had the frustrating joy that is losing yet another game of musical chairs! Birthdays should be full of Singing, Dancing, Playing Games, Eating, Drinking and generally having Way Too Much fun. Plus you should get more gifts than at Christmas because it's all about you! Well that is a wish anyway. It really isn't about the gifts. So let's leave that one alone. All I am saying is that a dinner out and a gift from the 'rentals does not a celebration make.

Again everything comes back down to the way we were taught to think about things. I find it disheartening that quite a number of people feel that birthdays are a countdown to death. Really? You could get hit by a bus today or contract some awful disease that gives you 30 days to live. Then again, you could live way past the drying up and falling apart of your body. There is no actual countdown folks! (Dang soapbox got under me again.. whoops!)

It comes down to me deciding that part of my responsibility as a mother is to teach my child that birthdays are a time for real celebration. Also with that is the lesson that every day is a day to celebrate something. Nothing is guaranteed.

With all this in mind this year it is even more important to make sure that kiddo has a least a little of the over the top celebrating I got. On a much smaller budget. It can be done. Bills can wait, they are ALWAYS there. Right?

But dangit I need to finish the big story and sell some of these smaller ones! Because one of these years I WILL give him the party with the clown, pony rides and bouncy house... even if it's for his 30th. *G*

Encouragement

 My son and I are going to a medieval re-creation event this weekend. This required getting up and getting a fast but mandatory 'before camping for two days' shower and frantically packing the last few things into the car. This led to getting him to school a few minutes late and still having  to do some last minute shopping. Really, we only needed drinks, bread, salami and snacks. Let's start by saying I forgot the bread and salami. The reason? I got distracted by a well intentioned idea. You know the kind, the ones that always cost you more money.

My son is going to be competing in a tournament at this event. I am pretty excited and I think dad is proud of him for getting out there. Not one of the three of us cares if he wins. It's a refreshing but kind of scary attitude. I hope my son starts caring at some point whether or not he wins. Either way this is what is on my mind as I walk around the store.

Because my husband is not going with us, I decided I needed to get a cheap camera or video recorder. I only spent $30 on a video recorder and was pretty proud of myself for that. I got the snacks, drinks and the antiseptic spray I forgot I needed and continued on my way. Then I began to worry about whether or not the loaner armor was going to make it out to the event. I KNOW that it is usually there. The Youth Marshall is pretty dependable, but... what if. I realize that I am being paranoid but I can't help it. I stop at Play it Again Sports and got a good deal on the equipment. But, there went another $30. I am in trouble now. I totally blew my budget AND this is after I just made my husband help with my fuel costs this past week. Worrying about how to tell him so he will really understand my motivation I begin the drive to the house where I nanny.

The phone is ringing just as I am pulling onto the driveway and it's the hubby. (This is what happens when you start thinking about someone too hard.) I just blurt out how I spent my morning and my funds. I hadn't had the time to choose the right words yet, blunt just had to do.

Now, here is where we get to the whole point of this story and also why I am married to this man. He tells me that he was glad I got the camera since he couldn't come out. Then tells me that our son needed the equipment anyways and he's happy I got a good deal on it. He then floors me with the additional encouragement of wanting to support our child in the things that said child is interested in. This is what he never got growing up. Furthermore, my husband doesn't ever want our son to be resentful that we never had the money for him to pursue his interests.

This boy of ours is so lucky. I am so lucky. We have someone in our lives that truly wants us to be happy. I absolutely love the fact that even when I am chastising myself for acting on impulse, my husband understands exactly what motivated that impulse. More to the point he encourages these good intentions and crazy ideas. He also tells everyone when we joke about my impulses that HE is lucky because even on impulse I am extremely frugal. I know that, unfortunately, it is rare to have this type of unconditional love and encouragement. I know also that I waited  a long time and kissed a bunch of warty slimy frogs to find it.

Now I just need him to stop encouraging me so much in terms of my writing. Talk about putting the pressure on. Hahaha. Yes I am tough to please, but happy nonetheless.

Now off to the Tournament for Baronial Defenders!