Have you ever considered that writing is the art of manipulating words? And art is the correct word for it.
Like paint on a canvas or conté on paper, like the molding of clay or the carving of wood or stone, writing is the act of creating art. And writers are artists.
And being an artist is one of the least respected vocations.
Oh, I know …
Everyone respects writers. Tell people you’re a writer and they’re always impressed. “What have you written?” they’ll ask in excitement.
Tell them you’re a blogger and they suddenly lose their animation.
I wrote so much …
As a professional blogger I wrote seven days a week. 5000 words a week. Every week of the year. Or I didn’t get paid.
When the company I worked for was sold and the site I was published on was reformatted to no longer include blogs, I lost my income.
But I realized that I couldn’t lose my practice. That was more important than money. Well, maybe eating makes money somewhat more important, but a writer who doesn’t write regularly is an artist rapidly dulling skills.
You deserve to practice.
I deserve to practice. We deserve the benefit of actively engaging in our chosen occupation. I still write every day. Seven days a week. I write roughly 3500 words a week. There is no substitute for practice.
If I were a lawyer I would have a practice. If I were a doctor I would have a practice. If I were a plumber, I’d have a business; true, I might not refer to it as a practice, but that is what it would be.
And I choose to call my work a practice. It’s a perfectly valid word for what I do. And I’m a writer, so I know my words. Well, I know a lot of them.
If you disagree …
If you don’t want to call it your practice, that’s okay. If you do, that’s okay too. But if you want to write, then you need to write. You need to practice.
Call it what you will, but put your head down and write.
Your writer’s voice requires use in order to be heard. And it requires repetitive use in order to find its character.
Own it!
And if you are a writer, own it. When they ask what you’ve written, reply, “What haven’t I written? Do you know how many words I write each day? You’d be amazed. What have you written?”
And if you’ve had enough of that conversation, just tell them, “I’ve got to get going. Those words don’t write themselves you know.”
And for goodness sake, practice!
