To be a writer, one must write

Honestly, that is all it takes to be a writer - writing.  Now to be a successful writer, writing needs to become a habit.  I've been following both Paul Guyot (@Fizzhogg) and Brian Koppelman (@BrianKoppelman) both on twitter and their own blogs (http://paulguyot.net/ and http://briankoppelman.com/ respectively) for a while now and I have learned so much from them.

All of their advice and wisdom, however boils down to the fact that to be a writer you have to write. Every. Single. Day.  Write when its easy and the words just seem to flow onto the page of their own volition.  Write on the days when you have no idea what to write about as well.

Don't be intimidated by the empty page. Rather hear its siren call, begging you to put pen to paper and fill it with your words. Those words don't have to make sense at first, write what you feel and what you want others to feel.  Write about what you see and hear and smell and feel around you.  Its amazing how the slightest prod can turn into some of the most wonderful stories or scenes or dialogue that you've ever written.

Don't get me wrong, just as often as not, when you do this you may get something that's god awful.  that's OK too!  The process of expressing yourself is a learned behavior and the more you practice it the easier it becomes. Nothing written is a waste of your time.  Everything helps you to become a better writer.

So, have you written today?  I have. :)

NaNoWriMo 2014

We are fast approaching an exciting time of year. While the holidays are exciting, they aren't what I am referring to.  It's time for the National Novel Writing Month!

Each November hundreds of thousands of writers fuel their imaginations with coffee and attempt to put together a novel of at least 50,000 words in just 30 days.  While it is quite an accomplishment to complete your rough draft in that time, it is not impossible.  If you break it down, you only need to write 1667 words a day for 30 days.  Given that the average typist can type at least 25 words a minute, that translates to only 67 minutes of typing every day.

One of the great things about NaNoWriMo is that while you are writing your own novel, you are not writing alone.  You can participate in many events during the month to keep you motivated and cranking out the words.  There are virtual write-ins, actual write-ins as well as forums, blogs and various other resources available to the aspiring writer.

This is my second year participating and I am proud to say that I was successful in creating my very first novel last year.  Its currently in editing and is titled 'A Quarter Ton to Kona.'

So, why not dust off that idea you've had rolling around your brain for the last however many years and see what you can do?

Inspiration and insight

I've been doing a good bit of reading and surfing looking for ideas, inspiration  and insight into the world of writing and publishing. I've been working on my novel A Quarter Ton to Kona and thinking that it might be a great movie.  Ok, a good movie.  The point is that I have been thinking that I need to find out how to go about writing a screenplay/script.

Along the way, while trying to find out the basics, I came across a screenwriter, a SUCCESSFUL screenwriter, who has also been giving out little pieces of wisdom he has garnered from his years in the business.  His name is Brian Koppelman.  Many of you won't recognize the name but will recognize some of his work.  His list of writing credits includes Rounders, Runaway Jury, Ocean's Thirteen and Runner Runner. Needless to say he knows a thing or two about the industry and following your dreams.

He dispenses his wisdom through a series of Vines he calls Six Second Screenwriting.  Here is one that really hit home for me:

He has many more which are all tagged with #sixsecondscreenwriting

Most of his Vines are inspiring and thought provoking but this one hit home.  I want to be a writer so all I need to do it get off my butt and write.  The more I write, the better I get.  There is no overnight success I need to put in the work and hopefully, one day I can produce something others want to read or see, but the main point is I am doing it.

Write Everyday - it will change your life!