Finding something to write about is not the hardest part about writing regularly. Nor is wondering whether anyone will care about what I have to say or even my ability to make time for it.
Really, the biggest hurdle, for me, to writing more — more often, more thoughtfully, more substantively — is finding the motivation to actually sit down and write. It’s a struggle to make it a priority, which is too bad. I enjoy writing. It’s something I tend to do well, and it helps me think more critically about the things I believe, the news stories I encounter, the people I meet, the work I do, the stories I tell.
This writing muscle of mine needs exercise, but just like lifting weights or setting off for a brisk morning run, this sort of exercise requires plenty of motivation. I’m not being paid for my writing — at least not directly, not like a newspaper columnist or a professional blogger — and I have a family and friends and all sorts of other hobbies to occupy my time.
It’s time to make “wanting to write more” enough of a motivator to write more.
I’ve been telling myself this for months, but now that my desire to write is in writing, it’s official. Recently, my inspiration has come from two friends. One is Rick Mahn, who wrote a post called “Doing it wrong,” in which he bemoans the inclination to hold back, reminding me — these are my own words — to just write, damn it. Get on with it!
Another is Andrew effin’ Miller. Miller joined the crew at Fast Horse after running a kick-ass campaign during our nifty summer intern-search program. I knew right out of the gates that this kid was a one-man media empire. (Andrew Miller Omnimedia has a nice ring to it, no?) Most significant is the daily writing he does for his blog, The Miller Times.
If he can do it, why the hell can’t I? There’s nothing special about him (lie). I don’t intend to publish a piece on a daily basis, but I certainly plan to write more. More frequently. More intelligently. More effectively.
And to do that, I’m going to need my own little content strategy, as we marketing folks call it. I’ll write about that soon.
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I’m not one for qutoes, but Norman Mailer nailed it when he said, “Writer’s block is only a failure of the ego.” On some provincial shit, don’t worry about what’s worth reading — worry about what’s worth writing.
Mike, you’re not the only one with the motivation problem – it’s a problem many people have (me included). It always seems that “I’ll write a post later tonight” which, of course, never happens. Great post!
Love that quote Andrew!
Thanks, fellas.
Miller, I like your quote better than Mailer’s.