On Writing

It is in the ordinary of everyday housework that words decide to tumble into my head. Doing laundry, sweeping the floor, and making the bed are all good conduits for imagination, but none of these chores inspire my inner-writer quite like doing the dishes. Maybe it's the hot water that clears away the fog or the soap bubbles sparkling in the air like fairies. Then again maybe it's the repetitive nature of grabbing, rinsing, washing, rinsing, and drying, that allows the two hemispheres of my brain (logic and creativity) to communicate with each other effortlessly. Either way, for a long time, my solution for writer's block has simply been to do the dishes.

I am a writer. Where painters see the world in bright, vivid colors, I see the world in stories. A knotted tree in the forest isn't just a tree, but the inspiration for a gateway into another realm. A woman sitting on a park bench isn't just a woman, but a lover entrapped in the "what if's" that have haunted her over the past 30 years. I am a writer, I see the world in stories, my greatest inspirations come while elbow-deep in soapy dishwater, and I am writing today to share with you the truths I have come to know about writing, being a writer, and living out the writer's life.

1. Writing doesn't have to happen in front of a computer or with a pen and paper. Like I said, most of my stories appear and unravel while in the midst of the mundane. Follow the trail. String out the words. And when you have a spare moment, write them down.
2. You are your own worst critic. This is both good and bad; good because you will never stop pushing towards perfection, and bad because...you will never stop pushing towards perfection. Listen to your inner voice, but learn when it is being honest versus when it's being unnecessarily cruel.
3. Read. Read. Read. I know, this seems to go without saying, but one of the best ways to be a great writer is by being a voracious reader. Read everything you can get your hands on. When reading, you are really doing diligent research on your craft and subconsciously learning the best ways to weave stories. You just might also get a spark of inspiration.
4. Great writers are great listeners. If you want to write realistic dialogue, go sit on a park bench for a few hours and listen to how people speak to each other. This was a piece of advice I received from my English teacher junior year and it has never failed.
5. Even if it sucks, even if it's something your 5th-grade cousin could have written, get the words down on paper. You have to start somewhere. Once the words are on paper, go make a cup of tea (or do the dishes) and come back to the piece refreshed. It is far easier to edit a piece of writing, however terrible, than to edit a blank piece of paper.
6. Trust your instincts, but listen to other's critiques. You are a writer. You were born with this gift. Trust yourself, but be open to other people's thoughts and concerns. They often times can see things you yourself are unable to.
7. You are not going to be everyone's cup of tea, and you are still a good writer. I do not particularly like horror and do not like Stephen King novels, but does that make him a bad writer? Absolutely not.
8. Less is more. Every word you write should have a purpose. Think Hemingway.
9. Never stop writing. Enough said.

These are things I know to be true. They are words of wisdom I share with all who few the world in stories.