I never really liked going to the gym. Too many sweaty dudes scamming on make-up caked ladies. Too little actual working out.
But I’m not afraid to sweat, and I didn’t mind the concept. A place where you can go, free of distractions, designed and built for one purpose: self improvement.
We live (and write) in a place so exploding with distractions that is amazing we get anything done. If I had a clock that counted the hours I’ve wasted after being sucked into the soulless void of the internet, I would be terrified to look upon it and despair. With so much great existing content, so many other good writers adding new content, and so many beers to drink, it is a wonder we find type time to sleep, never mind write.
This is where my blog becomes my gym. I come here to write for the very sake of writing. To test new techniques, try new genres, fail at being funny. I write lots and lots of other things on the side, in hopes that someday my writing will be good enough that someone will pay me for this drek. It’s a gym for my mind and my fingers, a place where I can keep my writing muscles toned and sexy.
I’m not running a marathon here, I’m just on the treadmill.
We all need to train. Our minds, like our bodies, like our creative bits, need to be used to grow. The one piece of writing advice that seems to resonate across the entire universe of the craft is that to get better at writing, one must write. And write a lot. Write until fingernails are rimmed with blood and eyeballs sear from LCD burns, until your mind no longer recognizes gibberish from rhetoric and your loved ones fear for your sanity.
This is how you will improve. Lots of sets, lots of reps. Reading is good too, but it doesn’t work the core.
If you’re feeling like you can’t get past that frozen wall of writer’s block, maybe you’re just out of shape. Maybe you’re trying to lift a bar loaded up with 350 lbs when your current max weight is closer to 150. Maybe you just aren’t ready for that burly personal trainer carrying around the gallon jug of water yelling at you to “Push it” when you aren’t even really sure what you’re supposed to be pushing.
That’s OK. Lighten up your workout and train some more. You’ll find that after a while, your writing will be stronger. Cliches will crumble at your feet like decaying Roman ruins. Clever phrases will spring from your mind like a newly born Athena from Zeus’s throbbing skull. You will be able to write better, for longer, and most importantly, it will be easier.
You will get better, but you have to train. You have to sweat.
Go hit the gym. I’ll see you out there.
C’mon, push it to the max! Feel the burn! Master your ass! ONE. MORE. PARAGRAPH.
Tagged: blogging, craft and draft, gym, humor, practice, reps, sets, strength, working out, writer's block, writing
I like is analogy. My blog is also where I train my writing. I give myself permission to write crap because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t write at all, and if you don’t write, well, you don’t write. It’s practice. It’s work. And I definitly sweat at it.
Glad you liked it, Megan. It’s how I keep my writing muscles strong, even if I’m in between big projects. I’ve had plenty to write for school, but having knocked out ~1500 words on my blog every week makes the ~3500-4000 word assignments seem not so bad 🙂
LOL, I’m still at the point where I need to go check with my doctor before I start any post. Great analogy and so true. I have a habit of starting writing the initial bulk of my post in Word (makes the boss think I’m doing work, shhhh) and over the past couple of months I’ve notice that the paperclip doesn’t pop up and ask, “I see you’re trying to construct a sentence. May I assist you?” nearly as often as it used to.
Hey Ed! Just realized I missed replying to this comment! Sorry about that.
Glad to see you’re finding it easier. I often write my first draft in Word too, just because it’s “Oliver is drunk” tools are much better at detecting my dumb errors.
Ray Bradbury said, “write a million words, then you’re ready to start.”
Great quote, love Bradbury. Thanks for reading!
Just discovered your blog and this post had me laughing from beginning to end! At least you, with me, you didn’t “fail at being funny!”
Tonito,
Thank you so much! I really enjoy being silly in my writing, so I’m glad someone else appreciates it too.
Like Tonito, I’ve just discovered your blog and have been laughing all morning.
This post is something I most definitely needed to read, however.
You so wise!
Haha, first time I’ve been called wise, but thank you! Glad you liked the post and got a laugh out of it to boot!