Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.
– Louis L’Amour
The above quote may be the only thing I’ve ever read by Louis L’Amour, but I can’t be certain. But L’Amour was a prolific writer with some 105 published works.
But he’s absolutely right.
As I mentioned yesterday my determination to write a minimum of 500 worlds daily has thus far been a great success. The more I write, the more I write.
What I mean by that is that, over the past few days, every time I’ve stopped to check the word count to see if I’m approaching 500 words, I’ve been well over 600, sometimes over 700.
Never mind that much of what I’ve written is garbage and will end up on the cutting room floor, so to speak, should this particular project go to print.
The point is that I’m writing. Putting words together. And I’m getting better at it.
That’s the way life works, isn’t it? The more you do a particular task or project, the better you become.
The more you exercise, the healthier you become and your muscles and joints start to show progress.
The more you practice piano, the easier it is to hit the right notes and rhythm.
The more you converse in Spanish, the more fluent you become.
Or, you don’t.
Those, by the way, are completely random examples.
It’s not like they’re based on personal experience.
Or, conversely, lack of experience.
Practice. Practice. Practice.
And I’m not even trying to get to Carnegie Hall.
I’d just like to be on the shelf of your local bookstore.
This all seems like such a simple concept. I’ve talked about being a writer for years. And, I’ve been writing. But not
consistently. Not purposefully.
The change for me came when I went from saying “I want to be a writer” to “I am a writer.” (Thanks Jeff Goins.)
It’s a lesson that many of us have to learn the hard way. If you want something, you really have to work for it.
You may not want to be a writer. But, there’s something in life that you want.
If you’re already there, then kudos to you.
If not, turn on the faucet.