It’s a new year and a new opportunity to write and read.
I have been adding to my to-read pile throughout the holidays and it is now so large I don’t know where to begin. There are more than 600 books on the so-called “short” list of what I want to read this year and that doesn’t account for new releases that will appeal to me. It is insane. There is no way I can hope to read a quarter of that, much less all of it.
Every new year I set writing goals. They aren’t lofty, but I take a moment to recommit to writing. Making an official resolution makes me feel more dedicated.
This year, I have set a goal of writing daily.
Now when I say daily, I mean every business day. I’ve always wondered when other authors say they write daily, if they mean 365 days a year. This seems a bit ambitious and overeager to me. I know I would burn out if I tried to maintain that schedule. I need those down days to let ideas percolate and feed my imagination.
It has been a busy season around here and I have been struggling to finish projects and get into the holiday spirit. Instead of baking gingerbread houses, I have been crunching deadlines and running errands like a crazy woman.
We finally got our tree up and decided that we needed to do something to find the spark that was eluding us. Hanging the stockings just wasn’t getting us there. So we did something that never fails: we turned to a book. Well, books. But not just any books–picture books.
My thanks are overflowing this year, as it is most years. I am thankful for my family, my friends and words. Yes, words. I love how they come packaged in stories and books. I love how they change and combine. I love that they have nuance and texture.
This Thanksgiving I am committing a few words of thanks for the things I love the most and sharing some of my favorites:
“Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.”
― Anne Lamott
I had a conversation with a writer friend the other day that saddened me. He has just started his journey. While we talked about writing, he kept justifying his right to write and apologizing for how badly he did it. Now, I have never read any of his work, but I balked at his attitude, mostly his justification for pursuing this craft.
Why is it that we question our desire to write? Does the gardener question her right to plant flowers? Does the golfer justify his right to play the game (not counting to his wife, which is another matter altogether)? No. They just do it. Yet I find this apologetic manner in many people who pursue writing. They act as if they are doing something illicit.
I think it’s a curse of the creative to question our choices. I know as a twenty-something I wondered whether writing was too frivolous a pursuit. Should I do something more? I questioned the value of writing compared to saving lives or fighting injustice until I realized that stories can do that too. They tell human stories that touch people and change lives. They matter.
Today is one of those wonderful days when I face one of my favorite reader moments—that brief interlude between books that is filled with anticipation. What book comes next? Which will I pull from the shelves?
I finished my book last night and chose to wait until tonight to pick a new one so I could live in anticipation. All day I have mentally listed the books on my bedside table and crammed onto my bedroom shelves. I thought about the books in my office library, which total nearly 7,000. I considered going new school and reading one of the several hundred on my Nook, which is not my favorite way to read. Heck, I even considered buying a new book to add to the masses. So many choices.
It is the choice of what comes next that makes me happy. It’s that potential of unraveling a new story and falling into a new world that keeps me moving from one book to the next.
“Word, words, words!
I’m so sick of words.
I hear words all day through,
First from him, now from you.
Is that all you blighters can do?”
Verse from the song “Show Me” in the musical “My Fair Lady” written by Lerner and Loewe
It has been a long week and these words have been looping in my head all day. Some weeks are like that. I write so much that words seem to be filling my brain to capacity and beyond. Too many words. I wonder if they will ever stop. Whenever that happens, this song invades my brain. It’s a sign.
Studying is an eternal state of being for writers. It’s our lifeblood–how we hone our craft and add depth to our work. As Gary Paulson says, “If you want to be a good writer, you’ve got to read like a wolf eats.” I believe that applies to studying too.
Luckily, there are many sources for reading and novels of all genres and types. Read the hard ones and the fun ones. Heck, even read the bad ones to learn what not to do. Then read nonfiction to inform your writing. There are tons of books on the craft of writing, and they are important. Growing as a writer means professional development, like any other field. Read those writing books, but don’t stop there. Study broadly.
Here are my top 12 to consider adding to your studies:
“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
I’ve been thinking about this quote a lot lately. Why? Because it’s the season for hay fever, runny noses and itchy eyes. In other words, not a great time for me to be inspired. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective and the day), I don’t have the option of playing hooky. I have deadlines and clients who need the words whether I feel like writing or not.
The buzz word in publishing these days is platform. Accepted wisdom (or rumor) is that an author cannot sell without one. I find this debatable, but I will call it plausible. The problem with this idea is that it suggests that platform is the most important part of publishing. It is not.
The writing is.
The story is.