This morning I sat down to finish writing a draft of an article that I am submitting to a publication this week. I have spent weeks on it, but it was only in the past week that it began to take shape. As I hit save and pulled my hands back from the keyboard, I looked down and noticed the word count – 2,600 words. I have been blogging for years, but I have not written anything remotely that long since college.
The most given advice to anyone sitting down to write a book or begin life as a freelance journalist is to write: make time everyday to write. I had heard that and thought I understood it, but over the past few days I simply experienced it. At night, I would sit with my computer, clear my mind of my other worries, and simply put down what was streaming through my head on the topic. I didn’t distract myself by researching the article, or reaching out to sources. I didn’t ask friends for their thoughts or spend time thinking over structure. I didn’t second guess. I simply typed my thoughts. The result… well the quality is to be determined but I was able to fill six pages with coherent words and phrases creating an argument I hope to be in a magazine someday soon.
So if you want to begin to write your book or venture into freelance writing or blogging, take it from me, a fellow “rookie” – just write. Make time to put virtual pen to paper, and keep separate time for research and interviews. There is a true joy and pleasure to simply writing a story.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to do some editing to get my article down to 2,000 words (but that’s a topic for another day).
Robert Hay Jr. 