Writers Write. The End. But Also the Beginning....

I’m still coming off the whirlwind high of this weekend’s Writers Digest Conference.  It was exhausting and exhilarating and inspiring and interesting and overwhelming and makes me want to write my ass off and also makes me feel like I’ve wasted so much time not writing and squandered away too many days watching reruns of Murder, She Wrote and Castle and convincing myself it’s all in the name of research.  Or I lose countless time trying to find a good celeb haircut picture to bring to my new hairdresser on Saturday so I don’t come out looking like crap because I can’t articulate how I want to look even at this stage in my life. 

So now my head is spinning with all the things I want to do….I need to do:

• Start voraciously editing “The Legacy”.
• And at the same time read the fabulous new book I bought, “Blueprint Your Bestseller” by Stuart Horowitz, to learn how to edit and revise my way to success. 
• Actually use my Twitter account that I’ve never posted one character to, never mind 140 characters. 
• It goes without saying that I need to start following people on Twitter to get them to follow me and build my platform (which was often looked at as a 4-letter word this weekend) so when the time comes, more than friends and family will be interested in buying my book (knock on wood!!!).
• Figure out a better way to use Facebook.
• And figure out how to promote this blog. 
• Which means create more blog content so my five followers have something to read.  (And if you’re one of those five, tell your friends…repost me…spread the good word….please!!!!!!!  I’m only half kidding btw.  By which I mean not even kidding at all.)
• Read my Donald Maass books.  (His session was amazing!!!)
• Diversify.  Word is that’s the key.  You need to do more than books.  Or just articles.  Or just. one. thing.
• So now I have to research websites and brainstorm and write some more.

And on and on it goes. I don’t even know where to begin, but I’m so anxious to start going, but here I am, kind of frozen with all my choices.  My head is literally spinning.

But what it all boils down to is this – writers write.  It’s that simple.  It’s like eating well and working out will help get you and keep you in shape.  Duh!  We get it.  We know it.  But it’s still one of the hardest things for us to do.  I somehow procrastinate from the things I do want to do deep down...that I like to do.  (Though some days I do really hate running.  Like a lot.)  

So that of course begs the question of why do I sometimes avoid the one thing I love.  That I say I love.  That I want to do.  To write.  It's what it's all about.  

But here's the thing.  Writers write.

And I’ll keep saying it over and over.  Writing it over and over.  Reminding myself over and over. 

WRITERS WRITE.

One of the last speakers I saw yesterday told us to take a week…let it all sink in…don’t try to get it all done in the next few hours or next few days, which is of course the natural instinct. I was all gangbusters that I would do Camp NaNoWriMo in April, which is another chance to knock out 50,000 words and reboot my writing…looks like I’ll be waiting for the July Camp, seeing as how it’s April 8^th and while I did actually get some ideas down over the course of the weekend, I’m definitely not in a 50,000 word state of mind.

So for now, I’m reading over my notes.  Being pretty amazed by it all.  Letting my mind run wild. 

And channeling the advice of all the amazing people I met and saw this weekend:

• Write to quota.  Commit to a certain number of words, not hours, a week.
• Embrace the weirdness.
• We resist the parts of our book that are weakest. Confront them and work on them.
• Embrace patience.
• Or its cousin, stubbornness.
• Write through the block.
• Write without fear.
• Go to the bookstore – the cathedral of books.  And pray.
• Become part of a writing community.
• Writers write.

I could go on and on. If I could transcribe Adriana Trigiani and Tayari Jones’s entire speeches I would.  But instead I’ll leave you with this…whether you’re a writer or not, I hope it resonates in some way:

“The energy you put out there is the energy you get back…Once you commit to lighting your passion, doors will open for you.” – T.J.

“You’re not defeated.  You just haven’t been found yet.  Persist.” – A.T.