Mar

09

The Truth About Writing

Posted by Manchild | Posted in Inspiration, Wise Words, Writing As Art | Posted on 09-03-2007

“You can only learn to be a better writer by actually writing. I don’t know much about creative writing programs. But they’re not telling the truth if they don’t teach, one, that writing is hard work, and, two, that you have to give up a great deal of your life, your personal life, to be a writer.”

Doris Lessing

(4) Comments

Comments (4)

  1. Sania Wyatts said 10/Mar/2007 at 10:03

    I’m actually finding it hard to write everyday in my blog everyday. But I think I just have to keep at it.

  2. Manchild said 10/Mar/2007 at 12:03

    Hello Sania,

    Welcome. Thank you for your honesty. You’re not alone. I struggle daily. Half the battle is won the moment you “show up” and sit down with pen in hand. If you just write, “Good morning sunshine,” you’ve written something. Writing doesn’t always have to be deep or profound or verbose. But whatever you write must be honest in order for it to be passionate or soul stirring.

    Listening. People watching. Reading anything and everything you can get your hands on are all great sources of ideas and information. Keep a tape recorder, a pen and paper close by at all times. That has helped me so much.

    If time permits, go back to my first message on 01-01-07. You’ll notice that the initial challenge was just to “get up” and “show up” until doing so becomes a “habit.” Relax. Be silly. Cry about something. Get angry. Let God and the gift of your imagination do the rest.

  3. Madena M Burman said 11/Mar/2007 at 06:03

    I find that discipline is the problem with me. I carry a tape recorder and pen/paper, but I still don’t always get those great messages down. Or better yet when I wake up in the middle of the night with a powerful thought, my heart says “get up and go to the computer”….my flesh says “stay in bed”. Ugh, doesn’t it always come down to a battle with the flesh? One of these days I WILL be victorious and it will change my life forever:-)

  4. manchild said 17/Mar/2007 at 06:03

    Hello Madena,

    Thank you as always for your courage and honesty. You inspire me.

    Visualization is a powerful source of inspiration. To put it biblically, “without a vision, people will perish.” There have been many days over the past ten years that I didn’t feel like working on my book projects. Then I recalled how hungry I got after my great fall. Never again do I want to feel that kind of pain in my belly.

    Speaking those things that are not as though they already are is also a great source of inspiration. I started asking God for the wisdom and understanding I needed to overcome my bad habits.

    Then I started reading books and applying the knowledge gained until it became powerful enough to enable me to “trade” a bad habit for a good habit. The hardest question you must ask yourself is, “How is my lack of discipline serving my enemies who don’t want me to see victorious?”

    Don’t let discipline be the essential leadership trait you lack keep you from making your big dream come true so you can achieve great things with God’s help. Since a lack of discipline is a huge problem for so many great people, I’ll sick down and compose a message to share what has, and still works, for me

Post a comment