| Writers Write - In Which a Light Bulb Goes off in a Particularly Thick Skull |

Writing is interesting.  Many people think that writing is a gift.  Much like painting.  Or any other fine art.  As if you were naturally born with it.  A talent of sorts.  But all of the writers that I've read, or listened to, write, or have written, constantly.  Just like any other craft, you have to hone it.  I think I used to be in the camp that thought that it just comes to you naturally.  So naturally, I would wait for a great story idea, or wait until I was in the "writing mood."  That is, until a light bulb went off in my head. . .

Wordsmithy was an excellent conference that I attended at the end of September.  It brought master writers from different parts of the country to Moscow.  This is where I got my wake up call.  All of the seminars and Q&As I sat in on all had a common theme: write your butt off.  

Wait.

You're saying that writing requires practice?

At least that is what a lot of these really good writers were telling me.  I mean, it makes sense, right?  That something that requires work would . . . require work.  You would have thought it would have been obvious, but sometimes it takes awhile for something simple to sink in.  Since then I've tried to write as much as possible.  But, if you are anything like me and are hesitating to pick up the pen because you don't know where to start, then stop.  Don't over think it.  Pick up your pen, open a word doc, and get to writing.

We all have to start somewhere.

Happy writing!

Courtesy of Google Images.