Excuses?

I heard something this week that I've heard dozens of times:

"You know, I want to write a book, but..."

Do you? Do you really want to write a book, short story, poem, etc.?

Good! So why don't you?

Well, I have a job and kids and...

So do I. I have a full time job and at the time my first book, Survivor's Affair was being written, I was working a part time job as well. Plus being a dad and husband and doing school events and church and keeping the yard mowed....

You get the picture.

So how did you manage to write seven books?

Seven so far....well it's simple: I made the time. I wrote instead of watching TV. I wrote when I felt like it and when I didn't. I wrote when the ideas were floating in my head and at times I sat down and wrote when there was nothing but a blank screen in front of me.

If I had a nice place to write....

Stephen King's first two novels were written on a typewriter perched on his lap in the laundry room of his single-wide trailer. That was his writing space. Mine was done at a computer sitting in the living room of our home.

Friends, it's not the time issue or the place issue. I know that's a good excuse but that's not it...really.

For my friend, it's a matter of deep seating feelings she's not good enough to do it, that the first draft is going to suck (of course it is, everyone's does) and so she makes other excuses.

If you want to write, friends, you have to get the excuses out of the way. You have to write. Whether it's sucky or great, you must write. Because the more you do, the better you become.

And read. Good writers are voracious readers, too.

Stop with the excuses and go write, even if it's on a legal pad. Go write. Now.

Peace

R.