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

Life's Lessons... are expensive!

Trust me I know about expenses...

A conversation I had a couple of weeks ago with a friend keeps replaying in my brain. Now you all know that my mind tends to take things that are said and warp them a bit. For my own amusement of course. But this conversation just keeps nagging at me and I figure that it is because I've missed something.

I have had many jobs and career starts. Most of them, obviously, have not led me to where I thought I wanted to go. In fact in leading me down the confusing path, these jobs and career ambitions actually left me more in debt than when I started. The idea with working, especially working hard and tirelessly, is to make money and get rid of debt. At least that's what I was told. In fact I was promised that this was the truth. Maybe I should sue. Whoops! I am getting off track.

Where did this hard work and belief leave me? Much more in debt. BUT knowing a thing or two more about life and people. In learning I have succeeded. Only there just seems like there's so much more still to learn!

I was reminded that when folks say that they graduated from 'the school of hard knocks', this is what they mean: They have tried different things, got knocked around pretty hard and learned some things of value. To which I can now say I am going through this same educational process.

But wait! My mind screams out. I went to an accredited college and supposedly got some education. Granted I haven't graduated from there either. Money slowed down and life got complicated. I got knocked around pretty hard figuring out what mistakes I made in choosing a college AND being overly honest in my financial aid applications. And... Ohhhh...

Dangit! This means that the expensive college experience was ALSO part of this whole curriculum that I am still trying to get through! Here I was figuring that I was going to have a double degree at the end of all this. Blasted Life and it's ongoing lessons. I would like a syllabus please. It'd be nice to have a direction. Or wait...

Have each of these lessons been pointing me to the itemized syllabus that will move me on to the next section? Can it really be that easy? Well maybe not easy, as these lessons are hard won and dear. Maybe I should say 'simple'. Yes, simple works for me. In fact it's been my mantra for the last week and a half. Simple and direct.

Now I am off to review my lessons so far and see if I can come up with a Simple List of Directions. There has got to be at least one arrow in all this mess.


***Oh and I reiterate that Life's Lessons are expensive. If you don't believe me here's a simple exercise to see the proof. Add together the cost of a college education, living expenses, cost of dating (yes I picked some broke guys for some reason), start up and ongoing investments for 4 direct sales businesses, clothes, shoes, medical expenses, fuel, trailer landing gears, makeup, books, seminars, plane fare, pain relievers, compact discs, workshops, alcohol, printing, copying and office supplies. Just to hit the basics. ***