Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there lived a group of people who called themselves writers. Most of these writers spent all their life savings on the special instrument destined to bring them much wealth and recognition. It was the golden pen, made by the finest of goldsmiths and blessed by the wizards of magical yin yang, zing zang and stuff...The writers, enabled with the magical golden pen, wrote best sellers and lived happily ever after.Sound familiar? It seems to me the more I get around and get to know more people, the more I see this If I Only Had A (brain!) golden egg mentality. I started noticing this in myself also. If I just had that special laptop, just had that writing class, just went to that writing seminar, if I had a super nifty golden pen, the right office chair, a better desk, if I didn't have that cactus thorn stuck in my finger, if I could make a New York Times editor friend, if I could sit on the beach and listen to the waves whisper tales and I could sip hot coffee and if my coffee were more caffeinated and it were Starbucks, maybe if there was a Starbucks coffee shop on the beach so instead of coffee I could have a mocha. Yeah. Then – I could most certainly write a bestseller.
Don’t get me wrong. Mochas help the brain work (so do peanut m&ms). Laptops are super handy. Writing classes help inform the creative brain to organize and write better. What I’m saying is that all these tools DO help, but if we aren’t writing and reading (I’m talking novels and short stories – not emails) daily – all this is nothing. If we don’t actually DO anything we aren’t making progress. If we’ve dumped a couple hundred or even a couple thousand bucks into a craft that we aren’t actively pursuing – it’s all money down the drain. You aren’t pursuing your dreams, you are pursuing a dream of a dream.
Yes, Jack might have given up the family cow for the dream of magic and golden eggs and hot harpy chicks (huh?). But darn it, he planted those beans, climbed the beanstalk, out witted Mister Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum and claimed the golden harp for his own!
The point is, before you sell the family cow, make sure you are willing to climb the stalk (write!) and out wit the giant (read).
Hmmm…Starbucks sounds good.
7 comments:
Witty and absolutely accurate. I know a few "writers" who talk more about writing than actually doing it. The big excuse is that they say they "can't find time". Time cannot be found, it must be made.
I like your point about reading. It is the best cure for writer's block.
Good point about making time vs finding it.
And just for the record, I'm talking about myself more than anyone. I'd really like to take a beginners novelist class, but I'm barely squeezing in the time for planting beans and outwitting giants now. If I added much more, the family cow (the basics) would fly out the window!
Thanks for your insightful comments, Laurita.
Great post, and great metaphor.
The best way to write is to make it a priority. Butt-in-chair on a regular basis. My life is squeezed, so I can't hang out and wait for the muse to come lolly-gagging around, so every morning at 5:30, I sit and write.
I generally agree with you about classes and all the writer accoutrements, but I personally find them great motivators (nothing like a deadline to make me move). As well, as someone new to this writing thang (started 1/2006) and who has absolutely no formal training other than freshman english and a poetry performance class in college, I need all the help I can get understanding structure, plot, voice, exposition, yada-yada-yada.
But yes - writing is affordable and accessible. After all, pencils and paper are everywhere, as are libraries.
Peace, Linda
Linda,
You are the perfect example for us all on how to use resources properly. My only point is that writing classes won’t do a writer any good if the writer isn’t writing (obviously this doesn’t apply to you – cause girl, you write!). The beans aren’t going to grow if they aren’t planted -sorry, this Jack and Bean stock Metaphor is too much fun. Thanks for reading and commenting!
PS Linda’s blog www.leftbrainwrite.blogspot.com has been nominated for Most Creative Blog. If you are a member at Editor Unleashed, go there and vote for her!
Hi Jodi - an inspirational read! I have more time than most and I seem to waste it better than most. Guess if I had a job I’d value it more.
Reminded me of a scene in a TV show I saw years ago (can’t recall what it was) where the yuppie wannabe writer is pounding away on his laptop and says "I can’t believe how much my writing has improved with this new software!"
Glad I found your blog – I was trying to catch up on all the Harbinger*33 emails and saw the link.
Cheers, Ian.
Thanks for stopping by, Ian. Your yuppie story is funny!
ain't it the truth..what you said. it's all between the ears the writing thing..., having said that though I gotta have my coffee...
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