I would like to start this blog by tackling one of the tried and true* topics of writing blogs, "How to be a writer?". I will put this blog post in the format of Q&A session with a fictional character, Straw Man, so named for the argument style I shall be using him to make.SM: How can I be a writer.
ME: Write.
SM: Yah, but really, what do I have to do to be a writer?
ME: You have to write something. You see that is what a writer is, a person who writes. You can look it up in wikipedia, and even the dictionary.
Writer, n, "one who writes". From the Old English Writere "One who writes", from the Older English Writan meaning "to write or draw symbols" from various Indoeuropean languages "To carve, scratch, or cut" (which probably marks about when we predate ink).ME: true story.
SM: …
ME: No really, if you want to be a writer just write something. That is really all it takes, while advice, ideas, and interesting views can help you become a better writer they only help if you are already a writer, and they only help if you work what you learn into your practice as a writer.
ME: But if you want to be a writer and don't already write just for the fun of it, maybe you should evaluate whether you really want to be a writer or not. Just sayin'.
SM: Fair enough, but how can I be a good writer?
(continued in Conversations with Strawman 2 - How to be a good writer?)
*see beaten like a dead horse
Yes, write. A vast bulk of what is discussed at a writer's support group (as opposed to a critique group) are ways to trick yourself into wanting to write. A blog is a good trick. So is finding your inspiration every day at 7am. I find it difficult to relate to these people, I write all the time. I think something more relavent to my experience will be in the next post.
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