As someone who writes for a living — we’re talking producing, editing and publishing tens of thousands of words every week — there’s one question I get all the time:
How do I do it?
More precisely: How am I able to just sit down and let the prose flow off my fingertips, onto the keyboard and into the open document in my word processor?
It’s a difficult question for me to answer for a few reasons. First, everyone’s writing style, habits and starting point will be different, as will their experience and/or educational background in this area. Second is the fact that, just like singing, dancing or any other creative pursuit, certain people have “it” — a repository of innate talent — that allows them to perform at a higher level than everyone else.
Third, and perhaps most importantly of all, is the realization that great writing is about hard work. In my experience, that unavoidable commitment is the deal breaker that scares most wannabe scribes away. As much as we all want a shortcut to success, there really is no substitute for sitting down and putting in the time and effort to grow your skills through repetition.
