Ask most writers for advice on how to write or get published, and you’re likely to hear the seemingly obvious ‘Just Write’. Louis L’Amour said: “Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” Almost every writer from Hemingway to King has given this sage advice in one way or another, and it seems so simple. Just write.
It’s also some of the hardest advice to follow, because let’s face it; life happens. Sometimes you work 10 hours shifts, and you’re tired. Sometimes the dog pukes on the carpet, and you spill your coffee with no time to make more before you run out the door for work. Yes, work, because unless you’re James Patterson or J.K Rowling, you still need a day job to pay those pesky bills. Maybe a friend calls and really needs you to hear what’s on their heart, or your child is struggling and it’s breaking yours. Of course, sometimes you Just. Don’t. Feel like it.
I wish I could tell you that magic happens when you write on days you don’t feel like it. Often times, it doesn’t. You might write crap. Sometimes, you write and rewrite the same crap a dozen times before closing the laptop in frustration. And then, once in a while, the windows of heaven open, and words pour from your heart through your fingertips, reminding you why you write. But those days don’t happen if you do nothing. So just write. It really is that easy. And that hard.