I have a secret.
I don’t like writing.
Yup. You heard that right. I’m a writer that doesn’t like writing. I was not born with a burning passion to write. I don’t just write for the fun of it. I don’t find the act of writing particularly therapeutic or soul-filling. All of which led me to question of if I could ever call myself a writer.
But here’s the thing. As much as I dislike writing, I LOVE story making. I love thinking about connections and funny twists. I have pretend scenes and conversations constantly running through my brain. And I came to the awful and sad conclusion that if I ever wanted to hold those stories in my hands, then I would have to put on my big girl pants and sit down and write the darn things.
So, how do you write if you dislike writing?
First: Start with your favourite parts. Write down the bits that are making you giggle or swoon. Or a silly image that is stuck in your brain. Or the epic ending to an amazing fantasy (of which you only really have that epic ending, the rest of the story has yet to arrive).
Also First: Completely ignore the fact that the words you put on the page will not, in fact, sound anything like what you can see in your brain. You can fix the broken words, but you can’t edit a blank page.
Second: Fill it in. Again, keep it short. Don’t get bogged down in writing. Do you like repetition? Fill it in. Do you have different locations in your story? Fill it in. Different challenges? Fill in it. Note form. Short and sweet.
Third: Find a quiet space. Then write. Yes, it’s hard. This next part is going to need a bit more brain power. You might have to ignore the laundry and dishes while a baby naps to find this (just me?). Or maybe this is the time you dash off to the coffee shop or library to claim some uninterrupted space.
Fourth: Write it again.
Fifth: Repeat step four until you are mostly happy with your manuscript.
Sixth: Find a good mix of encouraging friends and brutally honest critique partners. Let them know what you need (from, just tell me the bits you like, or how it makes you feel, or what isn’t working).
Seven: Revise and celebrate! There comes a point when you have to just call it good. Honestly, when I’m writing and illustrating to self-publish, those edits are still happening up until the last moment. But they are much, much smaller than when I started.
Eight: Celebrate! Dude! You wrote a story! That’s a total win!!!
Below: My absolutely perfectly finished manuscript for Doug Dug. Which, as you can see, ended up needing many more revisions.
