On Writing

I cleaned my office closet recently.  Purging a five-year collection of Romance Writer Report Magazines was part of the deal.  Before tossing them, I ripped out various articles for later review.  Many were interesting, a few downright fascinating, but I came to a major conclusion about them: We're thinking about this thing we do way too much.

 

Sounds strange, doesn't it?  You'd think people who make a living with their brains couldn't possibly think too much.  But writing isn't a mechanical and technical process but a creative one.  Sure, you can read, learn, approach it as a craft with basic requirements that must be in place.  At some point, however, you have to set aside all the things you've heard and read and simply do it.  All the writing theory and advice in the world won't help when there's only you, the blank page and an idea.  At that point your brain needs wings.