Five Things I've Learned About Writing

I'm no expert on writing, but I've been doing it since 1989, so maybe I've learned a few things.  I'm still discovering various aspects of the 'beast' so here goes:

Five Things I’ve Learned About Writing

1)      There is an ebb and flow to writing.  Sometimes, the ideas and words come in a steady stream and the work seems like play.  Other times, grunting out a single word feels delivering a 10-pound baby.  This is natural and a part of life, like breathing.

2)      The writing life is a journey of choice.  No one cares whether or not you make this journey.  It is your choice if you do so.  And no one will protect or support your work.  People will support YOU and, if YOU love the work enough, they will end up supporting that, too.  But don’t blame others for what happens, or doesn’t happen, with your work.  Own it.

3)      Writing is HARD.  It takes a huge amount of courage to put yourself on the page.  It takes years to hone your craft.  It can take more years to find publication. Writing takes every part of you—your heart, your soul, your senses—to create a new world.

4)      Writing brings you closer to Spirit.  When you create, you mimic the Great Creator.  This gives you understanding that may have eluded you otherwise.  You understand that, as a writer, you must love all your characters, even the bad ones.  This is a reflection of Divine Love.

5)      Publication will never be what you expect.  Often, the changes in your life after publication will be miniscule.  Sometimes, there will be disappointment.  None of that matters.  What matters is that you write and keep writing.