And Here's a Perfect Example

I just finished Stephen King's On Writing. What a great book.

Here's a truth--I've never read a single book by Stephen King. I've heard he's an excellent writer, a magnificent story teller, and some say he's be a bit successful in the profession. Yet I haven't read a one of his books.

Shame on me, I know. And I'm confident it is my loss. However, I have never enjoyed having the ever living life scared out of me. I'm not a horror junkie, nor do I find it entertaining to delve into darkness when I read. That's my day job, and with a specialty in treating trauma, I get plenty of it. So, I've taken a pass on picking up Stephen King stories. All of you are now invited to chastise me, and suggest the books that 'aren't scary' and 'are just great stories.' I'm glad to take the reproves, and the recommendations.

Though I don't read Stephen King, I do have great admiration for the man. What a great success, and what a professional at it. That's why at the encouragement of a friend, I picked up his book.

Flew through it. Read significant portions of it a second and third time. I'll do that again, I'm sure. Really great, and I feel it already has helped me with my own writing and story weaves. Yet there is one part that totally lost me. Well, first it overwhelmed, frightened, terrified and intimidated me. Then, it make me chuckle.

What part? The section On Writing. No, really! In the book On Writing, there is a section (the third, I believe) entitled On Writing. It is here that I read Stephen King say, unflinchingly, with no ambiguity, that if I wanted to be a writer, I needed to write four to six hours, every day. Every day. Every single day. Well, he did finally capitulate, and say one could have one day off a week.

So, I'll never be a writer. Simple as that. Maybe when I retire, which my wife has scheduled for me specifically at 'two years after he's dead.' Might be later than that, if we get more grandchildren who live outside the state. Travel is not cheap. But until I retire, I'm never going to write four to six hours a day, six days a week. Not even two days a week. So, according to the Stephen King Structure, I'll never be a writer. Sad. I guess I'll put that caveat on the books I have written, and all subsequent alphabet uses I produce. Maybe I'll go ahead and declare that I don't write books, I'm not an author.

Mine are not books. I'm a Word Mass Compiler.

I was so bummed, I almost didn't write this post. Then I had a thought? Hey, John...what is it you suggest to patients? What do you believe? That a person ought to use what works for them. There are no 'rules' (my editor just said 'Uh, huh! Yeah there are!'). Well, other than the grammatical rules, there are no rules about 'how to be a writer,' or 'the ways to become a writer,' or even 'the path to writership-hood-dom.' Nope. There are ideas, some excellent, some exquisite, some mildly entertaining. But no absolutes--well, I guess you gotta use words, but really, there are some limits/realities. Some basics. We'll just accept those as the Planck Distance of Writing.

I'm gonna stop here, with this thought. Like I believe, teach, encourage, suggest and implore to patients and friends--don't get trapped into 'rules' or 'requirements' that don't help you. Choose what works for you; you decide what works and fits for you, and let go of the concerns about how others say you 'have to do it'. It is your life. It is your story, your history, your mystery/biography/memoir/fantasy. Let it be yours. From you.

Of course, this comes from someone who isn't really a writer; I've only been at my keyboard two hours today. Won't be here tomorrow. But I will get back to here this weekend.

Then I'll do some Word Mass Compiling.

P.S. Do read Stephen King's On Writing--it is excellent! And really, really helpful.