On Writing ...

As a personal note I would like to say that Stephen King's book, On Writing, A memoir of the craft, is really an excellent book for anyone who is interested in becoming a writer or the experiences of being a writer.

Encouraged by this book I felt that when I decided to become a writer that it would be very important to include a section on any website that I planned to do with a section on writing.

This is where I will be going to from time to time drop small pieces and articles for those who are interested in writing and what happens in the genesis of writing and becoming a writer.

Every writer pretty much gets asked the same questions when it comes to writing. And every writer has a completely different perspective about writing based on thier own personal experiences. So it shouldn't surprise anyone that every writer is gonna offer completely different advice about writing.

What shouldn't surprise you but it will if you ever actually start a career as a writer is that writing is really a genesis type of experience. No one writer can tell you that there is a pat format to writing, becoming a writer or how to write anymore than any individual can tell you about how to be born and what thier experience was while being born.

Once you accept this, you've crossed one of the biggest hurdles.
There is no pat answer. Everyone is different.

Yes there is structure and formats but they are, in truth, just guidelines if you will.

Writing is pretty much a completely different animal for each person. And with
it, each has thier own demons to wrestle with.

My meager advice ...

Don't give up.
Keep writing.

Everyone has a story and thats the crucial thing to know and accept. EVERYONE has a story and each of our stories is important.

What surprised me most when I started was that you have to believe your a writer long before you actually get to the point where you start putting pen to paper or start tapping those fingers like ballerina's across the keyboard.

Believing is half the battle. Letting yourself speak is the other half..

Ask yourself why you want to write. If your answer is .. I have too.
Then your more than halfway home and that is all that matters.

All you need now is the tools to write and knowledge of the craft.

At least at this point in your journey you will begin to realize that the lights on.
Hopefully now you can see it. It's there, believe me. Lying in wait in the window
of a new home which lies through the darkness of nights of uncertainty..

From that point forward its all a journey, an adventure, a genesis and a unrelenting
saga. It's an uphill climb and trek which at the end of each book you write you need
to know that you will not be the same but it will always be an integral part of who are
and who you have become.

So be patient. Learn to discipline yourself so you can learn the trade..

Know that becoming a writer is an art and accept now that publishing is a business.
If you do then you will head off alot of pain as you start.

Practice, read and practice some more.

The more fluent you are with practice the easier you can let your inner voice flow.
Most importantly ~ don't get discouraged ( because you will from time to time ) and
don't ever give up. No matter what anyone else says.

Best wishes on your writing journey,