Writing Tip of the Week
Writing Tip of the Week
Just Give Writing a Try
I belong to a number of online writers groups and I find them quite helpful and at times even inspirational. I also sometimes find them frustrating when I read author’s posts about the tough, painful, agonizing, soul-stomping process of writing. The old line about just sitting down at a typewriter until beads of blood sprout on your forehead comes to mind. Hell, man, if it’s that painful, WalMart is hiring! They offer regular pay, regular hours, you don’t have to sweat blood, and you get to meet a lot of interesting people.
A famous story, and one I hope is true, relates an interesting exchange between one of America’s finest actors, Dustin Hoffman, and one of the world’s greatest actors, Sir Laurance Olivier. The two worked on a film called The Marathon Man in which Hoffman was the reluctant hero – a marathon runner. Olivier was the evil former Nazi and heartless villain. ???During a scene in which the two confront each other, the Hoffman character is supposed to have been running frantically for miles only to be trapped by the villain. Prior to shooting the confrontation scene, Olivier watched as Hoffman ran up and down the nearby stairwell to “get into character.”
?? At one point, Olivier approached the younger and exhausted actor and said, “Dear boy, why don’t you just try acting?”
That’s my response to writers who “suffer for their art.” Why don’t you just try writing. Forget about struggling with intricate plots, developing detailed character descriptions, putting writing on hold until you meet with your critique group, pacing around the house wondering “what’s next” or “how do I get my hero out of this!” or struggling against the myth of writer’s block. ???Writers can easily get wrapped up in technique and process while forgetting the basic rule of writing, which is – write.
The next time you think you’re blocked, stuck, out of steam, or waiting for the bloody forehead to arrive, give yourself a break and just try writing.
Quote of the Week: “Men for the sake of getting a living forget to live.” Margaret Fuller
Recommended Reading: Atlas of Past Times by John Haywood
Plan Ahead: Desert Foothills Book Festival – October 19, 2024
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