"I Could Never Write a Book"

Hello World!

How often have you heard someone say, "I could never write a book"? I feel sorry for some who have said it to me recently.

Do some people have no interest in writing? Absolutely. Find all writing tedious? Of course. Have too short an attention span, an inability to comprehend the needed skills, or an exclusive addiction to tweeting and gaming? Sure. However, these are not the people for whom I am sad.

Those I'm thinking of are reasonably educated, can write an e-mail or letter or blog that others can understand and appreciate, could carve out the time (albeit perhaps with some difficulty), and have a desire to write. Yet they still say, wistfully, "I could never write a book."

Perhaps they have poor self-esteem and so think themselves incapable. Possibly, they place writers upon a high marble pedestal. Maybe some adult discouraged them before they developed skills they have today. They may struggle finding a topic, or consider themselves non-creative. Or maybe, like me, they disliked how they were taught to write, because it didn't fit their personality/learning style.

If I found these people, I'd tell them this: There is a vast variety of writer-types and there are many correct ways to write well.

Outlining or pre-writing didn't work for me, nor did fleshing out characters before they stepped onto the page. I felt constrained instead of reassured by these activities. I needed permission to change my mind. I had more luck developing my plot and characters as the story progressed.

Writing linearly also didn't work for me. I wrote what was in my mind -- what excited me, what begged to be told, what my characters whispered in my ear. After those parts were written, I was inspired to fit them together.

I don't pretend that my way is best. Instead, I encourage you to figure out what you'd like to try. Then, do it! Succeed or fail without letting it affect your belief in your ability. Learn what you can from the process and try again. Whether or not you ever mention your writing is your choice.

Love instructions? Read several sets and find one that fits (or two you can combine). Have a scene already in your head? Start writing. Do learning-exercises light up your bulb? Hang up a whole string! Just start, and use flexibility in the directions or structures or freedoms you choose. You are a writer, not a slave.

Do whatever works to get your rough draft on paper. The most important part is the initial draft. There’s plenty of opportunity for changing, editing, researching, rearranging and rewriting once it's all down on the page.

So? On your mark, get set, go! Go! Go!! You'll never write if you don't start.