For the Criminally Inane

Writing requires talent. Writing requires skill. If you don't have much talent, you can develop your skill. There is however a third component to writing that every writer can develop and that is forming good habits. What habits do you need to become a writer?  Glad you asked. 1) Write every day. You want to be a writer? You have to write. You can talk about your plot all day long. You can map character arcs and tell me about your world building, but unless you sit your bum in the chair, you are not a writer. Don't talk about it. Write it. And try to write every day. Now, notice I didn't say write on your WIP every day. I don't do that. Some days are tough, but I try to write something, a letter, a journal entry or a note even when I can't get to the keyboard to work on a project. Why write every day? Writing something will keep you in the habit of remembering why you are here. 2) Keep a writing notebook. (Or two or three...) Ideas come in a flash. Some

As my kids get older, they are more interested in writing. At least, my two older ones. They are the ones who always have a nose in a book. So, my daughter asked me for some writing advice. I thought I'd share it here as some of you are writers in addition to readers. #1) Finish a first draft before starting new. When I first started writing, I had all these cool ideas. I'd start writing on the first one, then I'd jump to the next idea when the first idea became hard or when  newer, fresher ideas--ideas that hadn't been tainted by hard work and despair--came along, I would drop the story I started and worked on the newer idea.  When you actually sit down and finish something and it has a beginning, a middle and an end, you will feel so good about yourself. Then you know you can do it and you can replicate it. #2) Don't talk, write. If we are writers, we write. I hear a lot of people talk about their novel. I hear a lot of people saying they want to write a n