Reading and Writing

And I start again to write.  Recently I have been receiving articles on my phone pertaining to writing. I downloaded an app called Medium and now every morning, first thing, I see an article "just for me".  I am writing because if you want to write something, guess what? You have to practice writing.  The other requirement is that you have to read, read, read other people's writing especially the kind of writing that you might want to do.

I have many books, some several years old that I haven't read; I am starting with them.  In the meantime I will write in this blog more frequently.  I may not put it out there to be read, but I will have drafts.  One author said to read many books at once and practice many different kinds of writing.  Read books for information, learning books,  novels, short stories, poems, memoirs, and read several at the same time.  Read a few pages a day.  You will finish many books like that.

This same person also said write a long, big, project and also write articles or poetry, or anything else you can think of at the same time.  I am doing the anything else I can think of right now, and I am thinking it may be the most uncreative piece of crap ever, but that is OK too; even if it happens over and over and over.

Because in order to write you have to write and what you begin with may be crap but if you keep going you may just write something good, or helpful, or insightful, or maybe even interesting.  Perhaps writing anything helps you find your voice.

One guy whose article I read yesterday gave about seven or eight writing books that he has read.  He also said read, read, read. I have read two writing books and I thought that was enough, but according to others who write, it isn't even cracking the surface.

I am beginning again because that is all anyone can do when they stop doing whatever it is they feel called to do because it seems too hard, or too massive a job and after 224 pages, and there is no structure or rhyme or reason and it isn't very good, and all the other excuses I can come up with.