The "Writing" Closet
THIS IS REPRINTED FROM A BLOGPOST THAT I ORIGINALLY WROTE ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 2013
There is written in Matthew 6:6 (KJV), in what has often been described as the most successful book ever written; the Holy Bible, that, "When thou prayest, enter thy closet, and when thou has shut thy door, pray to your father which is in secret..."
Wow, that's deep, and what does it have to do with writing and writers nowadays? Well, I'll try to tie it all together. A writer of Christian books spoke to me recently and said she was struggling with her latest book. She stated that with the kids around, the pets, the husband, and the ensuing clutter, she just couldn't find a decent place to just sit down and write. In today's hustle-bustle society where the average household often has to have two working parents, finding that "Writing Closet" that you can just enter and shut the door, where you can write to your muse in relative quiet and secrecy, is tough! That's why if a person is serious about writing he/she must take the time and create the space to actually write. One thing about writing and writers is that we're constantly being bombarded by distractions, and it can be easy to just give in and set our latest project aside while we tend to other, less literary, matters.
Don't let not having a place to write, or not having enough peace and quiet, or having to run errands, or whatever keep you from your work. And yes, it is work. You should treat your writing like a job and prepare a place and time where all you do is write, research, edit, stare out the window... whatever it is you do when you write. Work it out with friends, family, hubby, wifey, the kids, whoever, that when you enter a particular room or sit at a particular place at a set time, you're essentially at work. This actually works best when you actually have a room you can go into. Let the spouse watch the kids while you work on your latest blockbuster! A famous writer once said that you must write like you're digging a ditch, and he's right. Writing, while a pleasure, can also be tedious, lonely, frustrating, scary... well, you know. And there aren't any awards handed out to those of us that found the most excuses not to write. If you're serious about writing, you have to treat it seriously. Like a job. Find a spot. Sit down. Get 'er done.
And don't forget, plenty of bestsellers were written on trains and buses while the author commuted back and forth his/her actual job. J.K. Rowling wrote some of her first Harry Potter book on napkins while sitting in a diner.
So c'mon, find a spot. Write.
Wow, that's deep, and what does it have to do with writing and writers nowadays? Well, I'll try to tie it all together. A writer of Christian books spoke to me recently and said she was struggling with her latest book. She stated that with the kids around, the pets, the husband, and the ensuing clutter, she just couldn't find a decent place to just sit down and write. In today's hustle-bustle society where the average household often has to have two working parents, finding that "Writing Closet" that you can just enter and shut the door, where you can write to your muse in relative quiet and secrecy, is tough! That's why if a person is serious about writing he/she must take the time and create the space to actually write. One thing about writing and writers is that we're constantly being bombarded by distractions, and it can be easy to just give in and set our latest project aside while we tend to other, less literary, matters.
Don't let not having a place to write, or not having enough peace and quiet, or having to run errands, or whatever keep you from your work. And yes, it is work. You should treat your writing like a job and prepare a place and time where all you do is write, research, edit, stare out the window... whatever it is you do when you write. Work it out with friends, family, hubby, wifey, the kids, whoever, that when you enter a particular room or sit at a particular place at a set time, you're essentially at work. This actually works best when you actually have a room you can go into. Let the spouse watch the kids while you work on your latest blockbuster! A famous writer once said that you must write like you're digging a ditch, and he's right. Writing, while a pleasure, can also be tedious, lonely, frustrating, scary... well, you know. And there aren't any awards handed out to those of us that found the most excuses not to write. If you're serious about writing, you have to treat it seriously. Like a job. Find a spot. Sit down. Get 'er done.
And don't forget, plenty of bestsellers were written on trains and buses while the author commuted back and forth his/her actual job. J.K. Rowling wrote some of her first Harry Potter book on napkins while sitting in a diner.
So c'mon, find a spot. Write.
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