[From the Archive] The Rule of Writing
This post was written in early 2010… I’m sure I’ve addressed it numerous times since.
Announcements: I’ll be appearing at the North Texas Comic Book Show tomorrow, Saturday, Jan 14th from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Arlington Hilton just west of 360 on Lamar.
Also, I’m participating in ConJour on the University of Houston Clear Lake Campus January 27-29th.
NOTE: There are only 15 copies of the first edition print run of When the Party’s Over. The second print run has been done. If you want a first edition, come see me at one of the above…
Now… on with the post…
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Thanks to the wonders of the internet – specifically Social Media – I can sometimes find new topics for this column based on what pops up on other authors’ news feeds and websites. In the past few days a very basic topic has re-emerged. The “Rules for Writing”. Which is something that can be repeated, so here we go. It’s really only one rule, but it can be broken into three parts. So, let’s break it down.
• Apply Behind to Chair – talking about writing isn’t being a writer. It isn’t enough. You have to be willing and able to put other things aside, ignore the distractions, and put in the time and the effort. You have to be willing to do the job. It isn’t glamorous or shiny, but nobody said it was.
• Apply Hands to Keyboard (or pen) – just because you sat down doesn’t mean you’re doing the work. Checking email, social media, blogging, and playing games isn’t writing. You have to put words on paper or pixels on a screen to count as writing. It can be hard. It can be tedious, but see above. No one said this job was fun and shiny all the time. Sometimes it’s a struggle, but if you really are a writer, not just a wannabe, you have to commit word counts.
• Finish A Project – face it, we’ve all been there. Stories are all butterflies and puppies for the first few pages, paragraphs, even thoughts when they’re new. Then you hit the first bump – which could be stumbling over a character name, the laundry, or family – and you lose the thread of the story. OR, sometimes worse, the Plot Bunnies come to call and you have many good ideas. It’s not good enough to project hop. To be a “real” writer, you have to have a Beginning, Middle, and End to a project – and then you have to submit it. A story isn’t done just because you type “The End”. It has to go out into the world. THEN you’re a writer.
That’s it. That’s really the only rule. You have to do it. You have to put in the time and the effort. That’s not to say all the other things aren’t important – they’re just not “rules”. Yes, you need to market research. Yes, you need to follow the guidelines to the publication. Yes, your story has to be in Standard Manuscript Format (which is a different topic ). But those are guidelines to show that you’ve done the work. That you’re serious about yourself as a writer and your story as a creation, they’re skills you learn as part of the craft of writing – but to get to craft, you have to make the conscious decision to follow the rule. You have to apply the behind to the chair, hands to the keyboard (or pen), and finish your project. There’s nothing better than knowing you did it – unless it’s selling the story and knowing other people, other writers, know you did it. So, go do it, and let me know how it goes. It doesn’t have to be a novel. Flash Fiction is just as valid. Good luck.