Writers Write by Kate Johnsen

Everyone has a book inside of them because everyone has a story to tell.  If it’s your dream to write, stop thinking about it and put your pen to the paper or your fingers on the keyboard.  Writers write.  Your story and characters will blossom as you spend time with them and allow them to develop.

Find a time and place to write regularly.  “Routine is the housekeeper of inspiration.”

If you want your creativity to flow, give it plenty of space and opportunity.  Pressure and deadlines provide great motivation but don’t always result in the highest quality of creative work.

And how should you write when you sit down?  Your first draft should be about fun, about creativity not control.  Allow your imagination to propel your action.  You may end up in a destination you never expected, but you may find more depth and significance in your story line.  If your first draft needs no changes or deletions, you’re not giving your subconscious enough permission to lead.

Your second draft should be all about a critical eye and ruthless cutting.  Ask yourself, “If I remove this word, or this sentence, is the story improved?”  “What happens if I move this description or conversation to another place in the narrative?”  Experiment with more specific descriptions and more exacting wording.

Take it apart and reassemble the pieces.

Give the stories and wisdom inside you a chance to emerge.  In no time at all you may accomplish your dream of being a published author.