Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Writing ADD


I was recently told that I have writing ADD because of my inability to sit down to a project for any length of time....

Yeah, that's pretty much true. The same friend used a great comparison between writing and exercise. That first 5K race is hard because you've never done it before and you don't know what to expect, but the finish is so satisfying that you train for another three months and do a 10K. After all, it's not that much further. It can be the same with writing. That first short story is like a break through, a ray of sunshine that titillates your little brain cells into creating more (and sometimes better) characters. You work on those characters until there's enough meat for more than just a short story. So, why not move on to a full-fledged novel? Of course, I'm not qualified to give that kind of advice, but in my mind both writing and racing require the same characteristics. Perseverance, determination, strength of mind, endurance and the ability to sacrifice your time to reach your goals.

So get at it! (Me included). :)


5 comments:

  1. I really like your comparison. The only problem is I use that logic with everything. If I work hard enough at exercise, writing, keeping my house clean, raising my family, dedicating to church and community, etc, etc, etc...

    I think it works better to narrow it down a bit :)

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  2. Wow, you have really great friends that give you really fantastic advice I can tell. =)
    So get at that novelette. 75 to 100 pages. Its not that far really. 6.2 miles.
    You write and I'll run.

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  3. Those guys are scary. (In the picture)

    Isn't it just about using good time management? (Thick with sarcasm)

    I, too, have ADD for writing. But something way cool happened yesterday. I went to help in Drew's class while Lucy was in preschool. They were writing and their teacher had me talk to them about ideas and relating yourself to stories. It was awesome. Then this one girl asked me to read her chapter two. I used one of Diva's favorite pieces of advice for me: Show me don't tell me. I felt so cool. And a bunch of 5th graders thought I was cool too. :)

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