Welcome
* Alice Kuipers *
I thought today I’d post a little bit on a writing tip that inspires me. Just as Bird, the main character in 40 Things I Want To Tell You, loves to give tips and advice, I figured I’d do the same thing!
I have read several writers who’ve said they don’t believe in writer's block. I used to wonder what they meant by that, how could they not believe in it, surely being stuck was part of the writing process. Now I think this tip is one of the most useful writing tips ever. Writer's block is something that real writers don’t have time for. For writers, sitting at their desk and writing is their job and they get on with it. If a story doesn’t seem like it’s working, or a character isn’t doing whatever they’re supposed to do, then a writer can just get up and walk away. They can write something else for a while, or read a book. But they can’t let themselves believe in writer’s block because it’s a waste of precious writing time.
That doesn’t mean that I don’t get confused by what I’m trying to do on the page, and it doesn’t mean it isn’t hard. It’s really hard. Every day, writing is awkward and stressful and confusing and difficult. But if it wasn’t difficult, then I wouldn’t love doing it.
Someone much cleverer than me said, "You earn the good days.” I wish I could remember who, because they are right. By writing through the tough times and through the days when it makes no sense, a writer earns those blessed days when the words flow and the story seems, even for an hour, utterly perfect.
Come and visit me at www.alicekuipers.com for writing tips, advice or just to say hello!
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If you missed Alice Kuipers TwitterChat about writing on
March 7, 2012, be sure to check out the Savvy Reader to read her answers to readers' questions.
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