Friday, May 13, 2011

Daily Writing

There are numerous sources that site the benefits of writing something every day. Some writers need the discipline of having a set amount of time to achieve with pen in hand. On the other hand, there is a belief that you can only write when the epiphany hits, that when it is down to a discipline the creativity is lacking.

In the writing reference book “The Writer’s little Helper” by author James V. Smith, he seems to agree with the former stating “You want to write? Write. Don’t wait for the muse. Write. Just plant your but in a chair and write.” I agree that just sitting down and writing, even when you can’t hear that inner muse, is beneficial, mainly because I know myself. My muse is unreliable, to say the least. Waiting for her would be like waiting for rain in a Texas drought, it could show up tomorrow, or it could wait weeks, only God knows. Also, you could argue that anything you do requires practice. You wouldn’t hear an athlete saying “I have a big game in a couple weeks, but I’m not going to work out or go to practices unless my body is in the mood.” Most likely he would end up getting pretty banged up at his game. So using that same logic, if you have a book to write, or a project due and you just waited around until the mood struck you, chances are your book will never come out, or your project very late.

There are not many credible sources that promote the idea of a “magic mood”, but for some reason it persists. I believe that you should find a plan that works for you, if you are one to wait for your muse, and she shows up then, by all means go for it! But if you find yourself waiting around for rain that might never come, I would suggest moving.

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