How not to write...
I recently read a book recommended to me by a friend called God Never Blinks by Regina Brett. I've been struggling with my writing lately and this really struck a chord. This not only applies to writing, but anything that we want to do that for one reason or other we don't - either we never get to it, never have time, or simply just put it off...
How not to write?
· Let technology scare you. Postpone writing until you learn how to electronically number all the pages.
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Get your doctorate in creative writing.
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Start therapy.
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Find the right writer’s group.
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Wait until you get over your fear of rejection or fear of success.
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Tell yourself the odds of getting published are against you.
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Worry about how you’ll pay the bills
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Compare yourself to everyone else.
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Complain that it’s too hot, too cold, too muggy, or to nice to be able to write.
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Try hard to add significantly to the world of great literature.
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Analyze every idea before you write the first sentence.
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Strive for perfection.
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Declare yourself the next Shakespeare.
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Try to write like everyone except yourself.
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Use only big words to impress people.
How not to write?
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Sign up for a writers’ conference instead of actually writing.
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Constantly tell yourself you have nothing to say.
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Consult your horoscope.
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Make a list of all the people who think you won’t cut t as a writer.
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File your nails.
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Water the plants.
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Clean the basement.
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Open an office.
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Build a hermitage n the backyard or an entire wing on the house to write in.
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Look for affirmation from everyone around you.
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Ignore your own sorrows, passions and music.
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Whine about how nobody understands you.
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Demand an advance first.
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Talk to telemarketers.
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Play solitaire on the computer.
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Make a to-do list with writing as the top priority.
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Complain about the English teacher you had who scarred you.
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The professor who ignored you.
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The brother who stole your diary.
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The sister who read your journals.
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Waste time envying other writers who have it so easy.
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Edit as you go.
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Check the rules of grammar and punctuation before you finish every paragraph.
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Talk about your ideas so much that even you lose interest.
How not to write?
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Wait until you have children.
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Wait until your children stop teething, finish soccer and go off to college.
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Wait until you have two hours of uninterrupted time to write.
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Wait until you quit smoking, quit drinking, or find the right drink and are stone drunk.
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Wait until your siblings move and your parents die.
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Wait until you meet the love of your life.
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Wait until the divorce is final.
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Wait until you go on vacation.
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Wait until vacation is over. Wait until you retire.
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Wait until you find your music.
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Wait until you feel inspired.
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Wait until a doctor says you’ve got six months to live.
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Then die with your words still inside of you.