You can’t edit a story you never wrote

Do you have books on how to write? Do you have books on how to submit manuscripts to an agent? Do you have your outfit picked out to wear to your book launch party? Do you spend more time reading books about writing than actually writing?

 

On the bookcase beside my desk are thirty-nine books on how to write. There are three books about how to think about writing, and there are five books on how to self-publish.

I would rather plan what to serve at my book launch party than sit down and write.

I would rather vacuum all the carpets, dig post holes for a fence, paint every room in the house, clean the seven litter boxes, wash all the windows, and install new carpet than sit down and write.

It is seven at night.

The carpets aren’t vacuumed.

I didn’t dig post holes for a fence.

I didn’t paint any rooms in the house.

I didn’t install new carpet.

I didn’t wash any windows.

I did clean the seven litter boxes.

And.

I wrote.

Because.

You can’t edit a story you never wrote.

And.

You can’t hem a dress you didn’t sew.

You can’t hang a picture you never painted.

You can’t sing a song you didn’t compose.

You can’t pick apples from a tree you never planted.

You can’t edit a video you never took.

May we start doing. Being. Living. 

Less planning. Less avoiding. Less talking.

More doing.

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Okay. I lied. I haven’t written on my book yet. I was just pretending to sound productive. I was going to write after I posted this story.

And, I can’t tell a lie.

So. Now I am going to go and write. And then I am going to come back and tell you how many words I wrote.

Okay.

I did it. For the first time in months, okay years, I actually wrote on my book.

530 words.

A small start.

But.

A start.

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I am going to write 500 words a day on my book. Today was the first day.

If you would like to be part of a closed facebook group started by my good friend and author Jeff Goins, My 500 Words, you can ask to join, or just send me your email, and I will send you an invitation.

It was started to encourage people to develop a daily writing habit.

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Is there a project you have been reading about? Planning? But not doing? Please leave a comment so we can encourage you to start.

xo
Pamela

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