Apr 20, 2009

Not a Rant....Just a Realization :)

I have been so intertwined in writers blogs, agents on twitter and advice websites about how to write the best book, that it's got me thinking....

(Stick with me here....I'm hoping not to confuse ya...)

ALTHOUGH..... I LOVE all the blogs, I AM ENTERTAINED by twitter, and I'VE LEARNED a wealth of knowledge from all the websites....

At what point should we put it all down and just write? After all, isn't that why we started the craft to begin with...to write? At what point to we throw all the advice into a bucket, sit down at our computers and just spew what our hearts and heads are shouting to us?

(Have I lost you yet???)

Although my crazy, chaotic life is slightly to blame for my lack of accomplishments lately, I will admit that all these blogs, tweets and web articles have also hindered the completion of my MS. Sometimes I need to remind myself that the reason I am sitting in this uncomfortable kitchen chair, staring at my unforgiving red pen, is because I had an idea, an idea needing to be shared with the world (or anyone willing to read...which SHOULD be the world, cuz I'm that awesome!)

There is no blog that will tell me what happens next in my story. No one is going to send me a tweet about where my protagonist is going to figure out she's made numerous mistakes and there is no website or article that can tell me what my reader is going to feel when they read the last sentence of my novel.

True, they can all teach me and tell me how to mold my craft....BUT....they can't write the story for me. In the end, I am still the author, the writer, and the creator of my characters' worlds. Nothing I read on the internet is going to change that fact.

So how bout you? At what point do you put aside all the advice and knowledge and just write from your heart?

Proof that the internet does not have ALL the right answers!
(Although where can I find me some sky gnomes yo!?!?)

10 comments:

Jessica Nelson said...

Great question. I'm not really sure. In the beginning I tried to follow the rules. Now when I feel myself getting stressed or not enjoying writing, I know I need to step back, take a deep breath and write how I like to. Things can be fixed later.

Unknown said...

Exactly :)

marymac said...

cool Eureka moment, Poppins. Read Stephen King's "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft" if you haven't already- I swear it helps me every day. You rock! Can't wait to read the novel :)

Jody Hedlund said...

I think you're totally right. It's so hard to write that maybe subconsciously our brains just look for an escape. So blogs,twitter, and other things are easy excuses to keep us from writing!

I think that's when having specific writing goals for each day helps. I set 500 words per day as my goal and I try to stick with it! Then when I'm tempted to do other things, I have that word count hanging over my head pulling me back to my MS.

Unknown said...

marymac - I'll have to take a look at that book...and you crack me up, you don't even know what the book is about! You rock!

Jody- I agree. I really need to start putting some goals in place. Of course that was much easier while writing. It's harder to keep focused and such when editing :) Thanks for the advice!

Tana said...

I think every writing book should end with that disclaimer. Break the rules if you have to just write what comes naturaly.

Unknown said...

I agree 100%!! (Although I still intend on reading all my favorite blogs and continuing my obsession with Twitter...lol)

McMommy said...

Funny, I was just talking about this with my husband tonight.

What if I just walked away from it all? My blogs, twitter, facebook...all of it.

What in the world would my life be like? What would I do?? How much would I get accomplished?

It's so tempting!!! Just to see what happens, you know?

Alexia said...

Well...I only write for myself, not to sell anything, but I never follow rules. I write what I want, when I want and people can read it or not - I still get satisfaction out of it :)

delilah s. dawson said...

is that from www.chickipedia.org?