Shut up and write

This is the first of a few posts that I’ll be doing on writing.

My creativity partner and I are studying a great book called The Lie that Tells a Truth by John Dufresne. This guy tells it like it is.

Dufresne addresses the deep inner resistance we all have to writing. After suggesting some writing exercises, he says:

“The easiest thing is to put off writing because you have a headache, or because the phone rings, or the person from Porlock is at the door, or the clothes need to be put in the dryer, or Kmart’s having a sale on motor oil, or the bills have to be paid. Disregard it all. If you fail repeatedly at this exercise, (Dorthea) Brande says, give up writing. Your resistance to writing is greater than your desire to write….Why force yourself to do something that you don’t want to do?“

Shut up and write
In Writing Down the Bones, Natalie Goldman offers my favorite advice for writers:

“It’s important to have a way worked out to begin your writing; otherwise, washing the dishes becomes the most important thing on earth — anything that will divert you from writing. Finally, one just has to shut up, sit down, and write.”

Dufresne and Goldberg make excellent points:

• Avoid the distractions, and practice writing.
• If you can’t find time to do some simple writing exercises, writing may not be your “thing” and that’s perfectly okay.

If you think you want to write but discover that you can’t seem to find time to write, ask yourself:

• What do I like best about writing?
• Do I truly enjoy the act of writing, or do I like the idea of writing?
• What am I writing now?
• Can I transfer my current writing skills to a new type of writing? EX: Technical papers require research and organization. Can you use these skills to move into creative nonfiction? Perhaps literary journalism, memoir or personal essay can be a first step before you move into fiction and poetry.

Writing is a straightforward process. You stop procrastinating and you write. That’s it.

Have a refreshing and productive day, and good luck with the writing!

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