Writing One Word at a Time

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Photo by Samantha Gades on Unsplash

All artists are unique individuals who approach their work in a way that works for them.  There is no right, no wrong, no perfect how-to to follow.  From personal experience both as a writer and book reviewer who also does author interviews, I can say with confidence that the paths to creating new works is as varied as the artists themselves. 

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Over the years
I have tried several different ways to get myself writing. After 15 years, I can honestly say shorter articles and blogs come easiest for me.  It is joyful to sit down, pound out a new piece and edit it in a few hours.  Sending it off , or hitting publish, brings a sense of exhilaration - I have accomplished something. I am successful today.  I pat myself on the back (or whatever I can reach to pat) and walk away from the computer feeling content.

The same doesn't hold true for me with writing new books.  I struggle there. While the act of writing is the same - a few hours typing on my computer every day - the focus has to be somewhere in the distance. You can't complete a book in a day, at least not the kind of work I want to have my name on. While a good feeling arises at reaching a daily goal, such as a word count. The major gratification of finishing a job doesn't happen for a long time.  I have to admit, my ADD doesn't like delaying the rewards. 

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I've talked in previous articles about how creating a daily habit of showing up and writing has taken the pressure off. While I don't have a new book ready, I have created an incredible volume of work this year that has the potential to grow into a new book. I've explored poetry and am taking online writing classes that push me.  But at the end of the day, I still find myself a long way from releasing my next book.

This last week I finished reading On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. In it he wraps his memoir around how writing came to work for him.  Several times during the book I had to pause and think about what he said as, although they might have been ideas I already knew, I had misplaced them.  He writes fiction, but his writing is very led by the characters he creates. He starts with a "what-if" and then follows the characters through the story, often not knowing the end until he writes it.

I love this.  It is also something I can bring to the table when sharing the stories of others. I don't need to TRY and tell their stories in a way that is interesting, I need to relax and let my real characters tell the story as I type. I need to channel their voices in a way that brings authenticity to the page, an authenticity that will echo in the hearts of the readers. 

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One other story
he told that made me pause involved an interview.  After the standard question on how he wrote, his answer was simply a cheeky one word at a time. This is a truth I had let lapse. I was feeling the pressure to publish, to create new work, and yet feeling empty and uninspired.  Why? Because I had become focused on the wrong thing. I needed to step back, pick a direction and do just what King said - write one word at a time, letting my characters lead the way. 

As I move back into a deep focus on my writing in November, I hope to bring these two truths to mind before I begin writing each day.  Let my inner muse guide me, let the words flow through me. It's okay if they are a chaotic mess or if there are days it feels like I am throwing shit at the wall.  All I need to do is continue to show up and write - taking it one word at a time. 

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