There is no magic pen that writes our stories for us
Imagine the disappointment when I found this out. T
his whole time I thought something came over writers and they just magically, with little effort had complete stories written and in order. There are a few people out there capable of doing this but for most of us it doesn’t work that way. I think I had my biggest realization when I read Stephen King’s Danse Macabre. He said we(creators) are given a dull knife and we don’t simply carve our work, we bludgeon it.
Stop, take a second to think about that.
Bludgeoning your art?! That sounds like an art in itself; especially as a new writer. You gotta learn how to do that shit. You gotta learn to divorce the draft. To be able to say “Goodbye 3500 words that are completely useless to my plot.” However, I confess that I don’t always delete my words permanently. I copy and paste my unfit words to their own page with hopes that I can use them later. But seriously bludgeoning is hard work!
That idea has helped me to be more accountable for myself. I do have 
nights where I have a disappointing amount of writing done. That’s when the writers guilt comes along with nightmares about my work being finished and turned into something fluffy and cutsey. Gag. So for those of you who believe in the magic pen theory, I’m sorry to disappoint you but happy to help you be more accountable. Start bludgeoning. Get that dull knife and make the magic happen with hard work and focus!
Write hard, edit harder, and finish your work!
Here’s a great article on divorcing your draft by Jeri Walker. I’m currently going through the book she got this from Discovering the writer within by Bruce Ballenger and Barry Lane and I’m a huge fan. It definitely has it’s challenges. I’m in a fight with it right now. They ask for so much sometimes!
Becoming Jayne 
Every writer has their own practice and way they come to that final draft, but there are general rules that we all seem to have to realize. Consistency and showing up for our writing is a huge hurdle to overcome if we want to produce something of great value to others. I used to admire the folks who could do it in one shot. Then I realized: I’ve never been a 3 point kind of girl… I like being in it for the long run, running up and down the court. I want to do the work and then lay up the final shot as I close the book, over and over again until I’m happy with it and feel it will be true to my voice and helpful tips those I am writing to.
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sometimes I am too lazy to edit, I just let chaos reign!
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Lol Darren That’s awesome! Thanks for following and commenting. And that sounds like a lot of fun! Chaos can make for some great writing it’s been a while since I’ve let my chaos loose.
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I’m glad you are enjoying Bruce and Barry’s book. I’ve used so many of those exercises as a teacher and a writer.
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Heeyy Jeri!! Thanks for commenting! I think it’s great your using it as a teacher. Reassures me that I found an awesome book to learn from. 🙂
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One year, I had an advanced creative writing student. Part of the curriculum I designed for her entailed the two of us doing the exercises in this book and sharing them with each other.
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I bet she loved that! I know I would.
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I like your ideas here and often we are drawn into the mystical elements of being a writer, the creative and passion. In the end, it is butt in chair that wins the day. It also comes down to work ethic and practice. I know it sounds strange to writers, but practice makes things better. The more you write novels the more you will want to write novels. Ask a violinist how they got so good, it wasn’t inspiration or drinking coffee. It was hard and long practice. Our vision before we write is always beautiful and amazing. It all falls apart when we start writing. I’ve read amazing first 20 pages, but it is page 100 that people have to work really hard and find their place in the story. This is where the story isn’t shiny and new, it is where the writer needs to step up. Fall in love with writing, but fall in love with all of it, the editing, the revision, and the creativity. Great article.
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Thank you for your feedback. Butt in the chair is the hard part! lol Everything you said is on point. I totally agree and I feel even more accountable.
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