If a writer considers writing to be a task, he/she is doomed to failure. Since it cannot be a task, then what is it? It is a discipline. What does that mean?
A discipline means development, and that means preparation. So a writer must prepare to be a writer and that means study, study of the English language-its words, its structure, its syntax, and its style. That is the groundwork that a writer must follow all his/her life. This implies training.
Where does a writer obtain this training? From many sources-workshops, seminars, courses, reading, and connection with other writers. Every day becomes part of a writer's training. Every moment adds to the writer's store of information, ideas, topics, and themes.
Discipline means the cultivation of input, of broadening the writer's outlook, of developing something to say, and of creating a way to say it. Without effort there can be no output-at least no yield that readers are willing to add to their store of thoughts and ideas.
Discipline means practice. A writer is not a writer until he or she puts words to paper or screen and this is the application of the training that preceded it. All of this implies a love of the art, and if that is not present, then it becomes a task, and writing can never succeed as a chore.
Discipline means exercise, which means action, which means the act of writing, of sitting before the blank page or screen and filling it. This is the time of labor, but it must be a labor of love, a desire, a need, an addiction, in fact, to expressing oneself. Of course, this action can take many forms-poetry, essays, short stories, articles, novels, and non-fiction books-but it must be treasured and desired for its own sake before it is presented to readers.
Without discipline, writing becomes nothing more that a job to be completed leaving the author unfulfilled and wanting.
Charles O. Goulet has a BA in English literature. He has published several novels that are available from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, and many other online book stores.
His website is: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/go1c
limo prices to midway Harrods Creek .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareHave you ever considered writing a book? If so, maybe... Read More
(This excerpt is taken from my new writing workshop Writing... Read More
Every part of your book can be a sales tool.... Read More
Creating written documents reveals so much about you and your... Read More
Started a book and then got bogged down? Like many... Read More
William Faulkner, the great Mississippi writer, said, "The tools I... Read More
ADAPTATION 101Brimming with confidence, you've just signed the check purchasing... Read More
In the business of freelance writing, it's not enough to... Read More
The Big IdeaOkay. So youve figured out that you would... Read More
Hundreds of writing contests tempt screenwriters with the lure of... Read More
Ever wonder why we refer to convincing an editor a... Read More
When we write stories, with the purpose of sharing them... Read More
A book coaching client recently emailed me that she was... Read More
Here's everything I know about improving your writing, publishing it... Read More
Congratulations on writing your first book. That is quite an... Read More
You may not remember this, but in the early days... Read More
Writer's forums are bustling with debate over whether or not... Read More
Peter Abrahams is the author of thirteen novels, including "The... Read More
Short Story Writing Tips:Your title is your selling tool. It's... Read More
Q. I'm staring at a blank screen with an equally... Read More
I started writing as a way of keeping safe memories... Read More
This is a tough question for every freelance writer. For... Read More
As writers, we initially tend to be either more cerebral... Read More
These 8 tips on using characters in your stories will... Read More
Questions and answers on writing life experiences for ourselves and... Read More
Plainfield limousine service ..One obvious question that can get overlooked in the process... Read More
"This is just brilliant. The whole interview is incredible? I'm?... Read More
Freelance editing opportunities are out there, you just need to... Read More
ELICIT, ILLICITElicit means to extract or draw out; illicit means... Read More
By far, I have found that the lack of discipline... Read More
Ah, the age-old writer's debate--to outline or not to outline?Outlines... Read More
So, you want to freelance as an editor, writer, copy... Read More
What a wonderful resource the Internet is!Students find information to... Read More
[When I was a nineteen-year-old high school student and budding... Read More
Characters in a good novel really carry the story along... Read More
As many authors are fond of stating, "Ideas are all... Read More
Griselda spent hours polishing up her resume. No detail was... Read More
What is this annoying, insidious angst that permeates my psyche?... Read More
I'm in the process of moving from one computer to... Read More
Writing papers and book reports has long been the bane... Read More
In most aspects of business, we will be expected to... Read More
One Saturday afternoon, I sat in a packed conference room... Read More
When my first book "Starting Your Own Business" was published... Read More
There are various forms of structure, including frameworks, work processes... Read More
Back in the mid to late 1980s I was a... Read More
If you are an aspiring writer, or you simply want... Read More
More and more good authors are turning to the Internet... Read More
What is a prologue? When should you use one? Should... Read More
When I was young, I used to talk to myself.... Read More
Poems. Just the mention of them makes me smile. Why?... Read More
Writing |