From the Writer's Desk
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A career in writing might be hazardous to your health. That’s right, down-right, hazardous. Just like anything else in your writing life, you must be self-disciplined and aware and apply that skill to everything in your life, including your health.
Writers often find themselves sitting for long stretches of time, either researching, reading, or writing. Sitting stationary, in a dream of muses, forgetting about the clock, and often sitting in one position for hours. That is why a daily exercise routine is essential to the longevity of a writer. It is important to your back and spine that you stretch every day and keep limber. If you don’t, within just a few ten-hour sitting/writing days, your muscles become sore and your spine stiff. You don’t need arthritis of the spine to make yourself too miserable to sit and write. Try to walk every day; I don’t mean you need to spend your time on a two-hour walk, but get up and move your body for at least twenty minutes a day. If it is too cold or rainy to walk where you live, you need to invest in a treadmill or a walking DVD. It is also essential for your heart and digestive tract to do this. Lots of authors I know complain about digestive and stomach problems, especially if they are over thirty-five. Walk, walk, walk before you sit, sit, sit, all day. Make sure you are eating semi-light but nutritious meals. I know you have heard this a million times, everywhere. But really, you need to feed your brain and keep your blood sugar balanced because if you don’t, it affects your ability to concentrate and stay focused on your project. Also, we all know the stories about the large amounts of alcohol/drugs some authors supposedly consume. Well, in this day and age, most authors I know keep their alcohol consumption to non-work days and write with a clear head and clear thoughts. Just beware, this is your health that is at stake, and if you want to live long enough to enjoy the accolades of a “Great American Author.” Use your self-discipline, not just to write but also to take care of your health.
1 Comment
NOT JUST YOU - BUT THE READER TOO
WRITING IS A PROFESSION THAT, AT FIRST, APPEARS SELF-SERVING. THE WRITER WRITES WHAT IS ON THEIR MIND. WHAT THEY WANT TO WRITE ABOUT, AND ONLY WHAT THEY THINK IS WORTH WRITING... WELL, IS THAT THE TRUTH? NOT REALLY, A WRITER IS NOTHING WITHOUT A READER. A READER WHO IS INTERESTED IN WHAT THE WRITER IS SHARING AND THE WAY IT IS SHARED. SO, IN OTHER WORDS, A WRITER IS NOTHING WITHOUT THE READER BEING KEPT IN MIND ALONG THE WHOLE PATH OF CREATIVITY. A WRITER IS FAR FROM SELF-SERVING. A WRITER IS ACTUALLY THERE TO SERVE THE READER BY GUIDING THE READER'S THOUGHTS AND IMAGINATION. TARGETING A FOCUSED IDEA (THE WRITERS) THAT WILL HELP TEACH, GUIDE, AND OPEN THE READER'S MIND. THE WRITER MUST THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT TO SHARE, BUT THEY SHOULD ALSO ASK THEMSELVES, “WHY?” BEFORE I WRITE AN ARTICLE OR A BOOK, I ALWAYS ASK MYSELF WHAT IS THE POINT? WHO WOULD WANT TO READ THIS? WHY WOULD THEY WANT TO READ THIS? WILL IT TEACH, SHARE, OR GUIDE THE READER TO A DIFFERENT PLACE OR UNDERSTANDING? A WRITER AND A READER SHOULD BE PARTNERS IN EVERY WRITTEN ADVENTURE. WHAT WORTH IS THERE TO THE WRITTEN WORD IF IT ISN’T READ? WHAT WORTH IS THE WRITTEN WORD (UNLESS IT IS THERAPY) IF NO ONE CARES WHAT YOU WRITE? WRITERS NEED READERS AS MUCH AS READERS NEED WRITERS. WRITERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THEIR AUDIENCE. WHO THEY ARE. WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR. WHAT ARE THEIR NEEDS? ONCE THIS IS PROPERLY THOUGHT OUT, THE WRITER CAN CREATE A TARGETED PIECE OF INFORMATION WITH CONFIDENCE, TRUSTING THE AUDIENCE TO BE SMART AND FORGIVING ENOUGH TO ACCEPT OUR HONEST WORDS FROM THE HEART. WHAT YOU SHOULD WONDER ABOUT YOUR AUDIENCE... 1. HOW OLD IS YOUR READERSHIP? 2. WHERE DO THEY LIVE? IN A RURAL SETTING OR A CITY? 3. WHAT GENDER? 4. WHAT SOCIO-ECONOMIC LEVEL? 5. WHO ARE THEY? THEIR JOBS? ARE THEY RETIRED OR TOO YOUNG TO WORK? 6. WHEN AND WHERE WILL THEY READ YOUR ARTICLE, STORY, BOOK? AT WORK? ON A BUS? AT SCHOOL? SNUGGLED UP IN THEIR BEDS? 7. WHY DOES YOUR WRITING CHANGE THEIR LIVES? WHY DO THEY CARE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR WRITING? 8. WHY DO YOU WANT TO WRITE ABOUT YOUR CHOSEN SUBJECT? WHAT IS THE POINT? WHEN YOU WRITE, WRITE FOR A REASON, IT IS TIME CONSUMING, IT IS WORK. HOWEVER, NEVER FORGET, NO MATTER WHAT YOU WRITE THAT YOU ALWAYS MUST KEEP YOUR READER IN MIND. |
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