Sunday, September 7, 2008

Write, Write, Write

The only thing that matters is that you write, write. write. It doesn't have to be good writing. As a matter of fact, almost all first drafts are pretty bad.
~ Walter Mosley, This Year You Write Your Novel


Just write. Just get words onto the page.

It doesn't matter what you write or how you begin. All that matters is that you do begin. All that matters is that you write one word and then another. And then another.

However you begin, your first words will take you where you need to go, as long as you answer the call of your Muse, as long as you listen to your story, as long as you free your words onto the page and go wherever they carry you.

There's a time to revise, rework and reword. That time is later. Now is the time to write, to begin.

Have you begun? Are you writing your story, your poem, your book?

If not, close your browser and open your word processor. Or get pen and paper. However you prefer to write, write. Just one word. Any word. Then another. And another.

It's time to begin. Now. All it takes is the one word that gets you started.

Photo credit: David Shankbone

8 comments:

L.J. Sellers said...

Thanks! I needed to hear that.
Lj

Anonymous said...

absolutely agree with you. get a bit of pre-planning down, give yourself a hint of direction, then start typing and dont stop. love it. what a rush.

Mark David Gerson said...

LJ & Richard: The only way to be a writer is to write, write, write!

Anonymous said...

Sound advice. Reminds me of the old wise saying, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step."

Good post!

Marvin D Wilson, author
blogs at: http://inspiritandtruths.blogspot.com/
eye twitter 2 - http://twitter.com/Paize_Fiddler

Andrea Wrobel said...

I purchased your book, Mr. Gerson. Thank you for writing it!

Mark David Gerson said...

Thanks, Andrea. Be sure to share your experiences of the book!

Unknown said...

I agree with the write, write, write. I sit down with pen and paper and usually have a title. From there the muse tells my pen what to write. It's an odd feeling I've heard of but once I really got into writing this summer, the words just flowed! 9 legal tablets in less than two months.

Thanks to Marv Wilson for pointing me to your blog. I'm on twitter to if you'd like to follow me.

ron

Mark David Gerson said...

Thanks, Ron. I'm happy Marvin pointed you in my direction.

Though I'd love to follow you on Twitter, you didn't leave me any way to do it!. You can find me there at http://twitter.com/markdavidgerson.