Turning a discipline into a habit can be a very tricky thing. Especially when you have other responsibilities, work a full time job, have a family and other things that seem to take priority. But when you really want something, deep down in your heart and soul you can make anything happen, right? Well I would like to say yes, and I do believe the answer is yes, but it is about setting aside the appropriate amount of time for you to accomplish your goals and not let others things take the back burner, like family and work.
All of my life I have wanted to be a writer. If you asked me when I was little I would have told you the same thing. But to be a writer, you have to write. You have to be dedicated and disciplined and make writing an everyday habit. It doesn't have to be a great amount of time, but you just have to do it.
Stephen King stated in his book, appropriately titled On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, that you have to set a time aside everyday, the same time even if only an hour, lock yourself away from the outside world and just be in the moment, just write. Set goals for yourself, a word count, a chapter or whatever, but just do it and do it everyday.
All of my life I have wanted to be a writer. If you asked me when I was little I would have told you the same thing. But to be a writer, you have to write. You have to be dedicated and disciplined and make writing an everyday habit. It doesn't have to be a great amount of time, but you just have to do it.
Stephen King stated in his book, appropriately titled On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, that you have to set a time aside everyday, the same time even if only an hour, lock yourself away from the outside world and just be in the moment, just write. Set goals for yourself, a word count, a chapter or whatever, but just do it and do it everyday.
“So okay― there you are in your room with the shade down and the door shut and the plug pulled out of the base of the telephone. You've blown up your TV and committed yourself to a thousand words a day, come hell or high water. Now comes the big question: What are you going to write about? And the equally big answer: Anything you damn well want.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
“I have spent a good many years since―too many, I think―being ashamed about what I write. I think I was forty before I realized that almost every writer of fiction or poetry who has ever published a line has been accused by someone of wasting his or her God-given talent. If you write (or paint or dance or sculpt or sing, I suppose), someone will try to make you feel lousy about it, that's all.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
I went to a local writers group Tuesday night called Tulsa NightWriters and they had a celebration of the life of Peggy Fielding who passed away in May. I can't think of one person who got up to talk about Peggy where they didn't mention Peggy asking them every time she saw them if they had wrote that day. If the answer was no, she would tell them to grab a chair and sit down and write. Writing is key.
For me, the writing has come in batches. I have decided to write a book so I would get up around 4:30 or 5:00 am and write until it was time to get ready for work. Some days I only got to write for an hour, some days it was two hours. That time for me became routine, but when the first draft for the book was finished, so was the routine. The same can be said for what I just did on the first draft of the second book. I get in a routine of writing and made it happen, then when it was done, so was the routine.
My commitment to my goal of becoming a professional writer is to write everyday. Even this blog helps me focus in on that as it is a daily blog and for those of you who read it, I thank you. For those that have not read it yet, I thank you for when you do. For those who have read it and didn't care for it, I thank you as well for taking the time to read it; but I also hope you hang in there with me and keep coming back.
I decided a while ago, back in January I would take a professional creative writing course at Oklahoma State University, but before any of you Sooner's start booing me and before any of you Pokes start cheering me, I really don't have a side other than knowledge. There is an amazing teacher there whom I want to learn from. She has written many books herself and has taught some amazing authors. I want to refine and hone in my writing. I want to be the best writer I can possibly be.
So what goals do you have that you are willing to make changes in order to see them come to fruition? Writing daily is no different than getting up and working out each day or making sure you are eating healthy everyday. I would love to hear from you? Any tips to share on making daily writing a habit or making any healthy goal a habit?
Have a peaceful night!
Johnny Bryan Ward
For me, the writing has come in batches. I have decided to write a book so I would get up around 4:30 or 5:00 am and write until it was time to get ready for work. Some days I only got to write for an hour, some days it was two hours. That time for me became routine, but when the first draft for the book was finished, so was the routine. The same can be said for what I just did on the first draft of the second book. I get in a routine of writing and made it happen, then when it was done, so was the routine.
My commitment to my goal of becoming a professional writer is to write everyday. Even this blog helps me focus in on that as it is a daily blog and for those of you who read it, I thank you. For those that have not read it yet, I thank you for when you do. For those who have read it and didn't care for it, I thank you as well for taking the time to read it; but I also hope you hang in there with me and keep coming back.
I decided a while ago, back in January I would take a professional creative writing course at Oklahoma State University, but before any of you Sooner's start booing me and before any of you Pokes start cheering me, I really don't have a side other than knowledge. There is an amazing teacher there whom I want to learn from. She has written many books herself and has taught some amazing authors. I want to refine and hone in my writing. I want to be the best writer I can possibly be.
So what goals do you have that you are willing to make changes in order to see them come to fruition? Writing daily is no different than getting up and working out each day or making sure you are eating healthy everyday. I would love to hear from you? Any tips to share on making daily writing a habit or making any healthy goal a habit?
Have a peaceful night!
Johnny Bryan Ward
“The scariest moment is always just before you start.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
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