So you say you like to write

The doe's and don'ts of writing

To me; the definition of a writer is a person who writes; meaning “any individual person,” which in itself covers a wide range of potential candidates, who on average can transcend their individual thoughts about either themselves, or a particular person, and, or persons, places and things, by using a collective of words, and, or symbols and hieroglyphics in order to express their own true, and, or imaginative feelings, beliefs and ideas relating to a specific subject matter and then converting that same thought process into a reading format, thereby bringing to life the substance conveyance of that particular private, public, dramatic, and, or informative written works. While keeping in-mind that the world is an open book of endless stories, tales, woes and ideas that have yet to be written, let alone published. Whereby the qualifications of such an individual person to scribe these such past or future moments and events in time is only defined by that lone individual’s life’s woven experiences of challenges, tragedy’s, triumph’s, love’s and hate’s in life, and this is how any individual person wanting to be a writer meets the standard term of conditions of a writer to be or not to be.

The four basic questions most asked;

1. Can I become a writer even though I’m unemployed?

Answer: A great many of writers (both past and present) will clearly attest to the fact that anyone thinking of becoming a future writer; the one truth you’ll have to quickly adjust to is that unemployment and writing goes hand-n-hand, and at no time does one being unemployed mitigates one’s potentiality as a writer. Where for the most part, when one speaks of unemployment, that statistic for the most part can often include part-time and laid-off workers, stay at home parents, retirees and grandparents, and at the same time, in that same equation, you’ll also have to include young people, who from grade school to high school, and on to college-aged students are in a sense, unemployed, but yet it’s in their daily lives and daily routines where they spend countless hours of texting and blogging, which in-part easily puts them in the forefront when it comes to an on-the-job training act.

2. Which working field, or position in life would make me a better writer?

Answer: normally I would say anything in the journalism field, which in itself covers a wide variety of job descriptions and positions which according to the subject matter can create a host of writing assignments from all over the world.

But the best over-all domain would be government, which includes all legislation's of government and government services from all over the world, at all levels of a countries administration, along with the rank-n-files of their military personal, both public and private, to which they all have had at some time or another, an inkling or a thought about writing in some form or another. And then when you include the likes of those of a higher arch such as elected and regal officials into that equilibrium of those with an anonymous desire to write, such-as Kings, Queens, Presidents, Dictators, Shahs, and Tyrants, [Democrats, Republicans, Communist, Marxist, and Socialist alike] who all at some point, either during, and, or after their reign or elected terms, often discovers that writer side of them wanting to validate their own private points of interest and views, many of which are drawn from their own personal and public transcripts and memoirs, thereby affording them a better than most advantage when it comes to documented experiences in life.

Whereas you absolutely can’t leave-out the blue collar wage earners, whose strength of unions includes doctors, lawyers, nurses, police, firefighters, plumbers, electricians, and mechanics, (Both auto and Technical alike), who much like their forerunner are also more than welcomed to take their honored places at the writing or drafting table, but then with this lot you have to include the likes of corporate entrepreneurs, executives, and CEO’s (again both males and females alike) a group whose realm is papered in miles and miles of contracts, bids and takeovers, which bears witness over time that stipulations need to be written down in life, but then there’s a whole conglomerate of politicians and bureaucrats like Governors, Senators, and Judges who aren’t above tossing their hats into the writers arena, and then once a bill is submitted, then written speeches, itinerary’s and memos, after-all, their experience does gives them an unwanted edge as they spend endless hours of tiresome required writing that’s done on a daily basis. But then as you enter the world where the limelight shines its brightest, you got your movie stars, singers, professional athletes, members of high society, and those fortunate enough to have already have made or inherited their status quo in life (billionaires and millionaires) whereas not to shade a black cloud over all of these potential candidates listed here, but when you classify a writer to be, you definitely have to also include without prejudice the likes of harden convicted criminals, such as blood-thirsty murderers, scandalous thieves, and devious sex offenders and rapist, along with w****s, pimps and hustlers alike. Yet in conclusion to the demographic breakdown, you have to keep in mind that all of the above mentioned potential writers to be, come from all different races, cultures, nationality’s, and diversity’s of life (once again both males and females alike) and age should never be a deterrent, ranging anywhere from 5 to 80, and in some exceptional cases, older or even younger. Whereas all of the a fore mentioned do also possess the same innate ability; if they so choose-to of one day becoming writers in their own rights; successful or otherwise, bringing to the table with them their own unique style of writing in whatever genre, style, or format they so-choose.

So as you can plainly see here in black and white; there is no pertinent dictionary definitive, or a status quo of what type of individual can become a writer; so going forward, if you so-happen to fit into any of theses categories your chances of being labeled a writer are as good as any.

[Action, adventure, biography, comedy, contemporary, cyberpunk, detective fiction, drama, dystopian, essays & articles fan-fiction, fantasy, flash fiction, historical, horror, memoir, mystery, song writing, non-fiction, novel, paranormal, plays & screenplays, poetry, religious, romance, science fiction, serial, short stories, spiller, sports, steam-punk, suspense, thriller, urban, western, and writing . . . and so on and so forth.]

3. How do I become more than just a mere writer?

Answer: But I do understand, where aside from a large number of writers being referred-to as just mere writers on the surface, it’s underneath a writers writing persona where a great majority of writer’s are highly defined, as well as recognized outside of their writings and writing skills circle, through their dedication, persistence, consistency and above all their patience. Such as through their life’s, or single moment contribution that influences, or makes an impact in literary, science, and or the social world.

4. Can I make a lot of money by writing?

Answer: Writing with the intention of achieving greatness and wealth wouldn’t be considered thinking outside of the box, because there is plenty of money, fortune and fame in writing out there waiting to be had. It’s in a writers standard of excellence where noted successful writer’s are often presented by the writing industry with a number of prestigious honors, plaques and awards equated to the notoriety of their literary works and contributions; that which in itself, is the bookmark that separates them one from another, and even further apart from those of us considered to be just amateur and non-professional writers.

Yet when it comes to titles of recognition; ones that we as amateur writers strive for, this is where professional writers tend to truly stand head and shoulders above those of us non-published and amateur writers with their titles of instant recognition in a writers domain; such as, author, novelist, journalist, essayist, poet, playwright, copywriter, critic and editor, speechwriter, script, screen, and songwriters alike, while at the same time and in the same breath, these dissimilar titles allotted to those pen-worthy writers in no way excludes those of us amateur and non-professional writers, who-just-so-happen to have regular jobs, or not, outside of those recognized with a prevalent writing career. As we in our own ways continuing to striving to become distinguished aspiring writers with the hopes of one day receiving the same distinction and honor of being referred-to with such titles relating to our own job performances, and thereby becoming recognized for our contributions; and receiving our very own honored acclaim and writing awards (Pulitzer, Walt Whitman, Hugo, the golden pen, etc.) such as the likes of other successful writers and their titles of distinction mentioned above.

So basically what I'm saying here is that anyone who has an inkling to write a comment, a verse, a sentence, a drafted letter, a paragraph, a poem, a song, and or jokes, a blog, a tweet, and even an Instagram, along with anything else that you can think-of that a person would commit to writing about a specific subject matter and predication, especially when it comes to one expressing themselves through their own written words by way of communicating their true, and or otherwise fabricated feelings, ideas, and thoughts, where at times using sarcasm and humor as a testament to a declaration being written. Be it on paper, type writers, computers, lap-tops, or etched on stone tablets; for one to use a writing implement in order to jot down, scribe, type, or etch a thought, a notion, or an idea, definitely qualifies and defines that individual person as being a writer with future prospects, if they so choose, no matter what their degree of depth, or their level of writing interest is.”

Now when it comes to a published and authenticated book, poem, or song writer, or for that fact, any type of foreign, and or domestic established writer with a format and a genuine following. And whether it's through the media outlets, word of hand to mouth, or the Internet of social networking; where hence these groups of writers are considered by most standards of writing, to be a totally different breed of writers all together, which in itself is something that just about all unpublished and amateur writers aspire to someday become, such as myself, but on the other hand, if this isn’t the case and you’re the type of individual writer/person who just loves to write out of sheer pleasure, along with an inundated indulgence to just write, it still doesn’t disqualify, or takes you out of the equation of being looked-at as being a bonafide writer. Although personally, I have nothing but the utmost respect for those of you out there who just love to write, simply for the sake of writing. But then again, I’m more than pretty-sure that every writer who feels that they have something; be it imaginative, artistic, inspiring, or informative to say worth reading, would feel more than overwhelmed, if not ecstatic, to see their own written works in print. Be it a book, a movie script, a song, a joke, a newspaper article, posted on the internet, or even fliers, pamphlets and newsletters, followed-up with awards, recognition, and a platform in which to continue launching their inspired and creative works from. Well the following documentation that you're about to read, is in no way a how-to manual on how to write a book, or to perfect your writing skills, but more or less a basis guideline from one enthusiastic amateur writers view on how [HE] sees his own personal struggle to become a writer. (Let alone a published writer) Whereby this one writer believes that when it comes to writing in any genre, shape, or form, “which by no means is an easy task”, it’s all about that individual person trying to express themselves through their your own written words, written down on paper in one’s own dramatic fashion, presentation, or something of an informative nature, and when done-so properly, one can then see, one’s own level of intensity of what it takes to move one’s writings forward.

And as a writer there will always be a set of confirmation rules that a writer one should always take to heart when it comes to writing --- and that rule simply states "that the pen is mightier than the sword." Although beyond the concept of this unwritten rule of thumb; there are a few cardinal rules of writing that should apply to all writers, more-so words to live by, and that being that the “truth is always stranger than fiction.”

Where aside from this; one of the biggest sins that any potential writer can commit to when it comes to writing, is to give-up writing and ending your dreams of a literary vocation just because someone questioned your qualification and your abilities to write, and further-more told you, how you didn’t have what it takes to be a writer, yet alone a successful writer. And on that note, if all it takes is a little harsh criticism to sway your judgment, then writing was never really your interest in the first place --- after-all when it comes to one’s own writing, and what you’ve written --- as writers we always tend to be our own biggest critics, and our own worst nightmares, often at times beating ourselves up over our own inabilities to find at times, just the right subject matter, or story-lines to write about. While at other times not being able to find just the right words to express, and or to articulately say what we’re trying to say, as well as what we try and get others to see what were thinking, by conveying into a reading format of creatively written words that tells the reader what’s really on our minds and what’s in our hearts.

Then there’s the torment of uncertainty; a raging battle of thoughts, as you find yourself questioning every turn and every bump in the road. Why this person does, or doesn’t belong in your story, your book, your song, your poem, a by-line or just an article of interest? Why the script isn’t right for your character, the time line and setting is all wrong, who is this person, and how did they find their way into the thoughts of what you’re writing about? What are their names? What is the plot, how does it end, and does it end well? So as a writer, it’s all up to you to try and figure all this out, while continuing trying to make your story-line, verses and the plot, or meaning flow in an orderly fashion of interacting maneuvers throughout a series of changes and timing from one character, situation and scene-change to another, while at the same time correspondingly going from the beginning to the end with a believable or non-believable story-line, and or a plot in-between its interceding moments that continues to move your story along just like the precision hand movements of a Swiss watch (phew!) or something to that effect. Sometimes in life, some of the things that I either see, hear, or read about, I like, agree-with, or even at times, I can find-it to be quite peaceful and charming. But on the other hand, there are other things in life which I don’t agree-with, hate, and or even at times find offensive and quite disturbing, and at times even annoying. But then again, that’s not to say, that what an individual person perceives about life, or someone else ideas and thoughts, is neither right nor wrong? However, what it is saying is that in today’s world of the internet and social networking, everybody has their own different opinions about everyday issues, politics, and philosophies of life. And whether it’s right, or whether it’s wrong, not everybody is going to agree with what you’ve written; your own personal opinion, or see eye-to-eye with the positions you take in life, and least not last, people will always be critical of a written format about one person’s ideas and their individual thoughts. So therefore, always keep in mind that there is no right way, and there is no wrong way to write, especially when it comes to expressing what, or the way you feel. But one of a number of things that does matters when it comes to writing is the manner and the format in which you choose to express your ideas, demeanor and thoughts.

And by getting your own written words to a targeted audience in-sync to your ways and ideas behind your brand of writings, all the while with you, hoping along the way that you can booster a larger following of those who you feel would also enjoy your style and brand of writings, ideas, songs, and poetry. How you say it to mean, and how the reader perceives it, is what true writing is all about. “Why even a bad writer is still a writer, and no matter how many honorable doctrines and degrees, such as in English and journalism, and how much schooling that an individual claiming to be a world class writer may have attached to their writing skills, it still doesn’t necessarily makes them a great and competent writer in everybody’s eyes. “Now don’t get me wrong, training and schooling is everything when it comes to writing, and never let anyone tell you different, yet, keep in-mind that not all great writers had the benefit of an Ivy League schooling, education, and training. So for those of us without the benefit of a higher education; how we go about training and enhancing our own writing skills is all up to that individual wishing to become a reputable writer, because there are more than a few great writers of all time, whose schooling, and education in writing was second to none; where and how they learned and developed their great over-all writing skills and talents will always be clouded with inconsistencies in their lives along with their schooling along the way to their benevolent writing careers --- and you know how a number of their careers eventually turned-out.

[Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Hemingway, Poe, etc, etc, and so forth.]

Now having said that, let’s get down to the gristle of why I’m here talking with you --- my fellow writers.

So you say you like to write --- Well first things first. Are you sure that you have what it takes to start writing? Are the kids asleep? Have you alleviated all distractions set before you? Have you been fed? Did you hang the “Do Not Disturb sign on the door?” Is your favorite TV show on? Is the radio turned up loud? Do you have any appointments that you have to get to first before it slips your mind? Did you know that writing is all about luck? Do you have your favorite snacks and drinks? Are you wearing your best clothes? Did you know that all you really need is a pencil, or pen and paper to be a writer? Do you have all the right writing tools to begin writing? Is the only reason you're writing because of the money? And last but not least, did you remember to pray, hoping that all goes well?

And if the answer to all of these above asked questions is yes, then Houston, we definitely have a problem.

Start out with what's in your heart: (in other words what’s on your mind.)

Within yourself, do you honestly feel that you have what it takes to be a writer? And what makes you think the time is right for you?

Now just because someone in your family once wrote a book, doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve inherited that writing gene, and just because you graduated Magma Cum Laud e with a bachelors and a science degree, again doesn’t necessarily pave the way for you being first in line for that lucrative book deal. But if you have a world famous name, and for whatever reason whether good or ban, and your highly sought after to tell it in a book, and you have no writing skills what so ever, you can still ghost write and still take the credit for what someone else wrote, now don't get me wrong, it can certainly give you that added edge to spark your own writings. er.

True writing can be produced on all levels of literary writing, especially if you have the passion, and the patience to commit to the project at-hand. The discipline to see it through, and the inspiration and the creativity to modify it along the way, along with the ability to tell your story, or explaining it in a way that you feel is a need to be told from the beginning to the end with a little sump'um, sump'um in the middle that'll make it intriguing, interesting, and if needed even adventurous, diabolical, and or mysterious, or if you so-happen to feel the courageous of conviction, all of the above.

A written story, or an informative documentation needs to have some sort-of substance, and a body of work, such as love, hate or romance, adventure, deceit, thrills, deception, truth, and even laughter and sarcasm at times, along with anything else that moves and even glides your story along, while at the same time saying don't put me down until you read about a possible explosion, a fiery car crash, a terrorist assault, a fire breathing dragon, love and passion, a zombie invasion, murder, and or death, not to mention a high speed car chase, a hero, a heroine, an evil villain, and or an evil scientist hell bend on taking over the world. But then again, there is happily ever after, to be continued, and oh my gosh! I never knew that until I read what you wrote.

Keeping in mind that not all genre of writing has to do with writing books of mystery's, drama's, romance, horror, fiction, non-fiction, and science fiction alike. Writing is writing; a person can write about, dramatize, or explain anything in writing under the sun through plays, scripts, books, movies, music, jokes, newspaper articles, pamphlets, fliers, newsletters, and or blogs and tweeters.

So when the question is asked, do you believe that you have what it takes to write? And do you honestly feel that if you really have something to say, or express in a way that you can relate it to others by writing about it, while at the same time getting your point across. Then this is clearly the only scientific formula that you truly need to start writing --- and then it's all up to you to consider which kind of writing format, and or genre mentioned above, that you plan on courageously writing under --- keeping in-mind that your writing is only limited by your own imagination.

First things first:

Making sure that the kids are asleep is just a metaphor: I would like to believe that I first got the idea to write while I was locked-up in the House of Corrections serving out a four month sentence, but that wasn’t good enough for me, because a year later I ended-up going to prison for two years, and that was over five years ago, but now as I enjoy the returned freedom of being on the outside, believe you me when I say, that there was no-one more willing than me who was eager to start writing at that time. Then again, nothing could be further from the truth. Because the truth of the matter was, once I really gave it some deep thought and I thought back on it, my recollection of writing goes back to when I was around twelve years-old. Long before my thoughts of really writing for a living had ever occurred to me. It was somewhere in the back of my mind ever since I was a youngster where I was always looking for my own individuality, and a way of camouflaging those everyday problems of growing up as an inner-city youth in a single parent home. Where I do now recall writing a couple of stories back then. But it was only after years of hopeless searching for my own identity that I now believed that while locked-up in prison even more than ever, I was still looking for my own individuality; where prison became my sanctuary of escaping the everyday problems of growing older in a fledgling society, only this time, I had to compound that interest with the fact that I was also looking for a way to escape from the confines of my incarceration. But seeing as how that I was now locked-up inside of a concrete fortress outfitted with iron bars, razor wire, armed guards, and a stipulation of house rules that had my thoughts locked down more-so than the actual sentencing did, whereas my interim thoughts were all about a well thought-out plan of escape by overtaking one of the prison guards, getting his keys and scaling the barb wire fence, and then out-running the trained search dogs through over twenty miles of back roads, trenches, gully's and farm houses, but once I really thought about it; it was a bit much for someone like me who was now 50 years old and had a problem just walking up a flight of stairs, and besides I only had less than fifteen months to do inside of a minimum facility, provided that I remained a model inmate.

So a physical plan of escape from within was definitely out of the question for me, if not preposterous, even ludicrous on my part. So therefore I had to come up with a different kind of escape plan all together, one which came to me through an uncultivated strange twist of fate, that happened for me through no efforts of my own, or so I believed at that time.

It started-out with me just jotting down mental notes about more than a few strong observational points about my surroundings, which eventually turned into a small library of crib-notes. And after awhile of constantly looking them over, that’s when I noticed that they were turning into little short stories, and before I knew it I was writing stories instead of making observations. Yet when it was all said and done, it turned out to be my writings that which made life plausible for me to escape from a caged mind that I was destined to be trapped behind, and imprisoned-in for the rest of my life, had I not rediscovered that much needed release through writing, which I now recognize was there all along, well hidden behind the street games I envisioned of growing-up of one day and becoming a big-baller and a high roller in the world of sex, drugs and quick easy cash. So once I picked-up that pencil and really started to write forward, I remember feeling such an adrenaline rush of passion for writing like I’ve never felt for anything before in my life, other than the thought of being nestled-up in a woman’s arms and feeling the warm heat of her body next to mines, but then again that's another chapter and verse that I'll save for another time, [“should we meet again.”]

It was the dreaded annoying and obnoxious sounds of chaos and disorder by thousands of other fellow inmates talking, clattering, and clamoring all around my head, day-in and day-out, which in itself made it totally impossible for me to even hear myself think outside of my own thoughts, let alone to try and write. But that’s where the first challenge and the real test of my patience came in.

I knew that if I had any kind of hopes of trying to write, I first had to phase-out everything that was going on around me, as well as inside of my head which included toning down my own hostilities, aggression's and resentment for being lock-up in the first place. I also needed to come to grips with the fact that I wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. I looked at it like this; I had to find some way to put the kids to sleep, (metaphorically meaning the noises and distractions all around me) and I’m not just talking about lying um down, tucking um in and telling um a bed time story. I had to know their sleep patterns and habits, and not allowing them to throw me off my game plan if they suddenly unexpectedly woke-up for one reason or another, because it’s bound to happen from time to time. And this is one of the ways of how I began to develop my patience in writing.

But as for you, if you’re in a relationship, be it marriage or a live-in partner, hopefully you can count on your better half to take up some of the slack of allowing you the comfort and space to write in peace when you make that decision that you’re about to do some writing.

Where on the other hand, say you’re not in a mutual relationship, and you’re a single parent whether male or female, then there’s always another way around this mild obstacle. Now say for instance that I did hit the nail on the head and putting the kids to sleep isn't just a metaphor in your case, then you can take it literally. First of all there's no need to really panic, because outside of an infant that requires your constant hands on attention; your children can often be pretty much be in-tune to what you let them know that your all about, and this is where your lines of communication and your patience begins to develop. Let it be known in explicit terms that daddy, and or mommy needs quiet time, as well as space to try and workout some things on the book that their trying to write. And don’t just take it for granted that they’ll understand just how serious that this project may be for you. So why not include them in on your aspirations and where the completion of your book hopes to eventually lead you to. Because kids love nothing more than to be a part of your dream plans, all the while hoping that it includes them as well. Simple things like just being around you and waiting on you hand and foot while you to do your writing thing by sharpening pencils, getting you some cookies, and, or doughnuts when your throat is dry, standing in your waste basket, or riding on the back of your chair as you write, where some writer’s in-fact finds an atmosphere of being surrounded by outside voices and UN-orchestrated movements to be a simulating surroundings for them to write under; such as me. Don't be afraid to share your stories, ideas, and thoughts with your children, and or the people in your household from time-to-time, where you’ll be surprised at just how much of a mental feedback, and or input whether directly or indirectly that they’ll have on what you’re trying to write, or what you’re trying to say, and only if you’re the type of writer who finds it disturbing to write under mild distractions. But on the other hand, if you so happen to be one of those writers who only finds the quiet, peace and serenity as a time to write, then it’ll be up you to make sure that all outside distractions are put to sleep. But for the more progressed writer you can always allow those around you to just drop where they may, sometimes in the same room while you do your writing. And in this way they know that you’re not trying to get rid of them because you give them the impression that their bothering you, which is unlike the times when you want them out of the way in order to have those intimate moment with your mate, where kids seem to have a six sense about, and we all know how those nights often don’t turn out. Exclude no one in your household from knowing that you enjoy writing, and or that it is your job. And this is what I mean by making sure that the kids are asleep, which doesn’t necessarily mean eyes closed, and dreaming about sugar plum fairies. And if by chance you so happen to be a writer without kids, the theory would still apply in conjecture to the outside noises and disturbance that occurs in a house where there are no children to be found in order to keep you from writing. But then as I started listening more to my fellow inmates and their all to grueling stories, which they were always more than too willing to boast and brag about all night long, with such topics as how they almost got away with it, how they got caught-up, what their lives were like before they ended-up here, and how they came to be that sticky stuff goo on the bottom of their shoes of society. Where before long I had the unwanted attention of every inmate who had a story to tell, which soon drew everybody’s attention to the fact that I was aspiring to be a writer, basically because I learned to listened without criticism or being judgmental, and not too soon thereafter you’d be surprised at how easy it was for me from that point on to put the kids to sleep whenever I wrote. No, the inside noises never went away, or subsided, but I did learn how to listen in-between the sounds which enabled me to filter out and not cater to anything that wasn’t directly related to my field of thinking and what I was writing about, and after a while over a two year period, I got rather good at it as I went on to critique and further develop my writing skills while locked-up in a highly hostile environment in prison.

Distractions you control:

The phone: Now when it comes to the phone, I know, I know, in this day and age of wireless technology, social networking and twitter accounts; other than my old school writers who probably still have typewriters, rotary type phones, and eight track tape players laying around somewhere. Where for those it was a-lot simpler back in the day to just take the phone off the hook, change the ribbon, or spend all day carefully unwinding the eight track tape that got caught in the machine, and it's this type of discipline that comes from the days of yore, so when it comes to a writing strategy, I just know that you’ll always be disciplined.

But with a new age of writing also comes a new age of social networking through the internet and it’s many wireless interfaces, which in one way or another, leads back to the phone. Now immersed in a world of tweeters and blogger, whose language today is basically verbalized in tweets and symbols, and their music is played on a disc, for this I truly understand, and there’s really nothing that I can say to you, that would convince you that your disciplined in your writing, and because I do realize that the world revolves around social networking and what you probably think you’re missing out on. Heaven forbid if you had to voluntarily turn off your cell phones, or had to flip the record over to the B side; being that your writing pad that connects you to the outside world along with your music, is your cell phone. But check this out; the only thing I’m talking about here is discipline.” If you can discipline your social life to coincide with your writing, imagine how much more of a disciplined skill you can instill into your writings, as well as the way you go about writing --- and discipline, is the ultimate key to writing.

So I’ll tell you what, for all of my old school writers, you take the phone off the hook and set your sights on the job at hand and if you so happen to have a cell phone, set it to vibrate, or just turn it off. And as for the millennium generation, I say to you, that if you spend more time on your cell phone than you do writing, then writing is not for you, because at some point during your writing stint you have to cut the world loose in order to concentrate on the objectivity of what you’re trying to write. Social media and outside input at times can be a good thing, especially if it’s the basis of the writer’s research into their work, but then again that depends on the writer and their story. Where on the other hand an undisciplined writer will often try finding the easy way out by finding a story inside of another writer’s story, and their written words, and according to our cardinal sins of writing, this is considered by us writers to be plagiarism which is highly frond-upon in our circle of associates. Stick to your own story and conduct your research with professionalism about your own stories, and with this will come discipline, something that you can’t possibly find while talking on a cell phone.

Keeping in mind, that not everybody is like me, um a po hittin writer, I live in one room, in a house where I over-see a Dementia patient in exchange for just my room and board. I have one of those government phones where I get free minutes every month, and that’s it --- those are all the minute that I can afford. No internet, no Face book, no twitter accounts, my space or blogs, at-least not on my cell phone. So my conversations are limited to just phone calls, and um not saying that if I came into some sort-of windfall that I wouldn’t upgrade. But here’s the thing; one doesn’t necessarily have to turn your cell phone off, if you use a typewriter, computer or laptop. I would hate to think that as a writer, your only venue for writing is your cell phone, where other than the sound of your ring tone --- which for some of you can be quite obnoxious, but thanks to a marvelous invention called caller ID where you don’t have to answer it. Especially if you’re a female and it’s Tasha and she just scored some free passes to a new club, or either you’re a guy and its Tyrone and he want to tell you all about this new fly babe he just met who has a friend. Whatever happened to answering machines? Short of a real emergency don’t allow yourself to be distracted, because it only take a minute for your character or thought to be lost in transition never to be recovered ever again; for too many times it’s happened to me. So either you have someone else answer your landline phone, and answer the door with instructions that you’re busy. Because I just know that you’re not going to allow someone else to answer your cell phone. And if by chance you are disciplined enough to turn off your cell phone, then “write-on.”

The TV: There is nothing wrong with your television --- do not attempt to adjust the picture for we are now controlling the transmission, as we control the horizontal and the vertical. We can demure you with a thousand channels, or expand one single image to crystal clarity, or beyond. We can shape your vision to anything that our imagination can conceive, so for the next hour we will be controlling all that you see and hear as you're about to experience the awe and the mystery, which reaches from the deepest parts of your inner mind to the outer limits. sounds familiar?

There are all kinds of distractions that can keep one from concentrating on their work at hand with the television being the biggest of them all? Especially if over time you’ve allowed yourself to be programmed into having to watch a certain TV. program such as soap operas, game shows, reality shows, and especially the news at certain times, where you dare not write at that specific time for fear of missing the latest episode, where once again this comes under the heading of discipline. I’m not saying to cut out watching TV. all together, it’s just that when that certain feeling comes over you to write, let nothing short of a real 911 emergency stop you from answering the call of a blank slate begging to be written on.

The radio: Turning the TV off is easy for me to do when I start writing, but when I turn on the radio it creates a whole different venue of background sounds that according to what’s on, can often slide in between my forward thinking, and at other times can even stimulate and smooth over my thought process. My first choice of radio listening whenever I start writing is NPR (National Public Radio) WUWM 89.7fm because for a writer this one station for me comes to be the ultimate radio school of instructional writing at its finest. Where at other times later in the day when I’m on a serious roll, its old skool rock and roll classics, the blues, smooth jazz and even from time to time symphony Orchestra concerto, and not to mention my Sunday spirituals. But when it comes to NPR it’s the show “Morning Edition,” “Fresh air,” and “All things considered,” is what draws me deep into the make-up of different published writer’s stories being told. All about their success and the roads they traveled in order to get there, which inspires me greatly to keep doing what I’m doing, all the while knowing that there are other writers out there, such as me in similar situations. And in this sense is why at this time that I choose to pass-on some of the obstacles and hurdles that I’ve encountered along the way.

Are you forgetting something: At times when a person has it in their mind that they intend to sit down and write, but it’s always something there that we forget were forgetting? What in-fact you’re forgetting is why you choose to write in the first place. Never lose sight of your goal. Before writing just like anyone who’s about to perform a physical act of labor, its best to warm up before you begin writing and in this way whatever it is that you may feel that your forgetting you’ll give it some time to come to the surface before you begin writing. Musicians do it by performing their finger exercises, athletes do it by stretching their limbs and why shouldn’t writers have a warm-up procedure, where mines happens to be free cell, or either solitaire, which gives me that unobstructed time to melt those frozen thoughts from the back of my mind to the front of my mind about some of the finer points of why I’m writing. But then again this may not necessarily work for everybody, so it’s up to the individual writer to find the best mind exercise that you can possibly find that get your juices flowing and your ideas jump-started before you actually commit yourself to start writing on that day. Where aside from the reasons why I write, there are those among us whose reasons for writing are not always the same, and often times they don’t have to be reminded every time they write, why they write. Be it a deadline, or their already established as a published writer, or better still confidence. But for those of us who don’t yet have that luxury, it’s all about trying to reach that plateau

Muse, good luck, and inspirations:

We all have those certain little idiosyncrasy rituals, and good luck charms that we either perform, or carry around with us, where we take it to heart as being our own personal good luck.

As for me I carry around a 1909 silver Indio-Chine Francoise coin in my wallet as a token to the writing Gods. And I do my best writing stretched-out while lying across my bed, a habit that I came by; by being in prison lying on my bunk.

Stevie wonder said it best when he sang that if you believe in things that you don’t understand superstition is the way. Because when it comes to luck and superstition in the writing world they seem to go hand-in-hand. Quite often it’s the luck of the draw of the card, and the spin of the wheel is what determines how and when your time arrives. But don’t quote me on this because a lot of my fellow writers out there (professional and amateur alike) are just talented in their own skills, and they create their own luck.

Placing a do not disturb sign on the door: A “Do not disturb” sign only works on the doors of a hotel/motel rooms when you’re doing the unmentionable, because when it comes down to finding your own personal writing space, it’s either a well kept secret, or you have to verbally make it known to others as well as to yourself that this, (wherever it may be) is your personal writing time and place where you feel the most comfortable writing. And it’s not always just the people outside of our doors who come to disturb us, where a lot-of times it’s our own selves who bring us our greatest disturbances, especially when we have things more pressing on our minds other than sitting down for a time, and just writing.

Sure we all know that bills need paying, the world is going to hell in a hand basket, and time is slowly slipping away from our grasp. But you have to somehow find a way within yourself to try and put that aside, and I’m not saying that in any way, form or fashion that it’s something that you can flip on and off like a light switch, because difficult takes a day and possible takes a week. Whereas some of the reasons why some of us write, is to get away from those everyday problems that we can’t otherwise get away from, but as for me, this is one of the main reasons why I write because it wouldn’t do me any good to just stand by hoping that the problems in my life would just somehow mysteriously disappear, so if I wasn’t able to take that long voyage outside of my mind without leaving home, I would hate to think how my mind would implode. Where one of my biggest problems outside of the wolves knocking at the door is constantly thinking about will I ever get published, which at times weighs heavier on my mind than any other problem that the world could ever drop on my doorstep?

I go to sleep at night and wake-up in the morning wishing for that day when my ship comes in and I’m finally published and worldly recognized as a writer. But in the meantime I continue to have my thoughts disturbed by my own inner�"conscious thinking. I’m one of the only writers that I know-of whose writing on more than 40 books at one time; of-course not simultaneously, but one inside of another, outside of another and in conjecture to another. When one idea doesn’t work, I move on to another and so on and so forth and in the course of a day I’ve written in at-least 8 to ten of my books out of the 100 that I’ve written so far. Why just the other day I woke-up in the middle of the night around 2: o clock in the morning according to my bedside clock, where I decided to get-up and fix myself a bowl of cereal. So the first thing I did which was a normal routine, was to reach for the fan that I keep next to my bed, because that’s the way I slept. And when I reached over for the on and off switch, I moved it to the left the way I normally did for over the last two years in order to switch it to its lowest speed, but instead that switched the fan off. That’s odd I thought, because moving the switch to the left always turned to its lowest setting. Where for just a moment it confused me, but then I only thought that maybe somewhere earlier during that day that I may have turned the fan completely around. So off I went to the kitchen to fix me some cereal, and when I went towards the kitchen, I turned left instead of right, which outside of my bedroom door; this was the only way to the kitchen where for years inside of the house, the kitchen has always been to the right. But on this night in question everything in my mind seemed to have been in a reverse order. Again with sleep still in my eyes I didn’t really think that much about it until after I’d eaten that bowl of cereal not realizing that I’d eaten frosty flakes instead of honey nut cheerios, which was years was always the only cereal in the house. And that’s when it finally dawned on me that my writings were calling me to write. It was 2: o clock in the morning so I decided to just lie down and turn out the light for a minute, before I would get-up and do a little bit of writing, but then I begin to toss and turn something fierce and couldn’t sleep because that call to write was getting louder and louder. So I immediately sat back up looked over at my clock which was now 5: o’clock that same morning. As I now found myself asking what the hell just happened. So the first thing that I did, just like usual, was to switch the lever on my fan to the left and this time it went to its lowest speed. So I say when it comes to a “Do not disturb” sign its best to be posted on the inside of your mind, because as a writer we are our own greatest disturbance when it comes time to write.

Feeding habits:

What is it that feeds your mental metabolism, and stimulates your thought process? True enough; everybody has to eat, even starving artist. Is it me, or does anyone else notice that nobody in your household really gets hungry and claim to be starving, until you start writing. Whether it’s the female writer who’s in charge of making sure that the household is well fed, or either the male writer whose turn it is to fed the masses. But physical feeding is not what I’m talking about, for there is such a thing as food for thought.

Never allow yourself to feed into what others may think of your writing abilities, and or your style of writing. And just like I stated before, there are no transformational rules of writing although spelling, grammar, punctuation and timing is everything.

Say what you say, and spell it like it sounds to the best of your abilities, all the while remembering spell checking and dictionaries should always be at your immediate disposal.

Now when using broken English, slang, rap, lisp, country, foreign and southern accents, or proper English, you should use it creatively and accordingly, which in itself is according to the make-up of your characters and or the story-line. Never write about what you don’t know.

Stick with your field of expertise, and if you’re not a word scholar, don’t try writing as if you were one. But if your earnest in your writing and you continue to grow as you go along, there’s no real reason why you can’t become the word scholar that you strive to be. Who knows you might even learn to master the there, their, and they’re rule. But in the meanwhile feed your own hunger for improving your writing style in the fashion and manner that your use to writing in.

Don’t always feel that everyone who reads your writings are supposed to love it and eat it up like a thanksgiving dinner, because every writer has a specific targeted audience group that will enjoy, maybe even love your brand and style of writing, often no matter what you write all you have to do is find them and continue to find others to fall into that same food group.

Believe it or not “Gone with the wind” was submitted a numerous number of times (over 50) to different publishers before a publisher decided to feed into it. Eat, chew, and swallow. Take all criticism with a grain of salt, because this kind of fodder is good for the soul of your writing, and you can never gain too much weight when it comes to putting on the pounds of knowledge in writing. Even the negative things that your critics may say about your writings; learn how to use it for fuel to increase your own development and critiquing your work when you find yourself looking at a plate with eggs and no bacon. Also you can never compile too many notes and points of reference in your own personal library of crib notes compare and refer to them often, just like a menu in a restaurant.

While keeping in mind, that somewhere before allowing your readers to taste your works aplenty, even before you submit this recipe for publishing, you’ll have to hire a chef (proof reader/editor) to make sure that this meal is complete before it’s ready to be served-up, and fit for that hungry audience that’ll gobble it up like it was the last supper.

A jug of wine, a loaf of bread and thou: Omar Khayyam 5/18 1004 �" 12/4/1131

Now this is where your writing can truly take-on its finest, or its worst hour. As a writer I often picture what it must have been like, to have been a writer in the days of yore living before the invention of the electric typewriter, the internet and fountain pens while living in one of those French studio loft apartments burning oil while overlooking the Eiffel tower, or either being in the backwoods one of those up north lakeside cabin shanties deep in the woods while being one with nature with just a typewriter on a table, a room full of smoke an ash tray full of cigarette butt and numerous bottles of wine, preferably Chablis, and maybe some cheese doodles on the side.

Atmosphere and where you most choose to do your writing is everything, and no matter how quaint or lavish your surroundings are, it’s all about what it takes to put you in that level of comfort ability in your designated location and or work area. For me it’s the mere thought of being in Paris France, or on a gondolier in Venice, not to mention the thought of William Shakespeare, is what resonates a writing skill-set that for me empowers my writing at its finest.

Different writers throughout the years [and not saying all writers] have been known to enhance their acute writing skills and empowering their thought process with a side order of alcohol, drugs, and infidelity with some of these writers mind-set being at a higher level of tolerance to overcome these obstacles while still maintaining their writing mind-set better than others.

But all the same, these certain delicate often times provides an edge, something that all writers strive for, and just how one hopes to reach that level all depends on the mind-set of the individual writer. But as for me I haven’t quite reached that level where I couldn’t think outside of my own twisted thoughts, but I can only imagine what an enhance thinking could do for my writing abilities. And who knows over time any of us might just have a need for that edge, and if and when that time does comes along, I would hope that you would allow your years of discipline to be your guide, because another lost writer is just another writer with an untold story and sad as it is to say, but the cemeteries are full of untold stories that have yet to be written by writers, published and non-published alike, along with a host of songs that have yet to be sung by musicians and singers and not to mention those act by actors who never made it to their encore performance and curtain call as they found themselves exiting stage left. So in contrast what I’m saying to you my fellow writers is this, learn to embrace your developed skills as a human trait that requires only discipline and not artificial enhancement. If you have an overwhelming desire, a basic instinct, or a God given talent, why intentionally disrupt that natural order of flow to write? There is such a thing as trying too hard, where writing should never cause your whole world to come to a screeching halt because you put so much emphasis on succeeding as a writer no matter what the cost to your own mind, body and soul.

What to wear, and what not to wear: At times all writers tend to be a bit quirky, weird, and even mildly deranged, but that's a good thing when it comes to reaching into the depths of your subconscious mind as you try and make your way around all those thoughts that for years have sat idly by waiting to be retrieved and put in its proper place accordingly. But in the meanwhile as you find yourself sitting there behind your typewriter/computer looking your best in your sexiest outfit ready to rock and roll and putting down some serious writing.

And for you guys who go through the trouble of shaving, putting on cologne, and making sure that your nails are clean just to write. And I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with your impractical approach, but I just can’t see it. Because it seems to me like you’re dressed to impress and believe it or not your type writer, computer, or laptop could care less how pristine you look. But what your type writer, computer or laptop does care about is that you’re ready to take care of some business.

Ready to punch out some serious scenes and maybe even burning the midnight oil. For the longest, you’ve been wearing that same old beat-up badgers hat, that tattered housecoat, that golfers glove with the one finger slot missing, those house shoes with the soles that flipped flopped whenever you walked, and you never cared more or less what anybody thought of you whenever they saw you dressed like this, simply because you were in writing mode and this was your level of comfort ability. So why change horses in the middle of the stream. The way you dress when you write, definitely isn’t going to make your books sell any faster, but what it does do, is puts you in a comforting frame of mind.

Tools of the trade:

A pen in-hand: When it comes to writers tools of the trade, a noted writer once wrote that writing is 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration so just having a pen in-hand is not always the number one implement needed to write. The most valuable tool in a writer’s arsenal is the mind of the writer, a tool that knows no boundaries when it comes to the depth of thinking.

The mind of a writer has the innate ability to hold a thought while suspending it in time, as well as the ability to shape that thought along with the ability to turn it into something that never was, while holding this same thought over a period of time without once changing it, diluting it, or stretching it out of shape, until it's ready to be put it down on paper, typed on a typewriter, or etched in stone in exactly the way you perceived it.

A true writer can take one word, a verse, a phrase, or a paragraph and turn it into a poem, a song, a speech, or even a whole book, if they have the right mind tool.

What’s in it for you?

Are you in it for the money: There are a thousand and one reasons why a person would want to write, but you have to be honest with yourself as to the true reasons why “you” want to write?

There’s no shame in admitting that you do it strictly for the money, the fame and or the recognition. After-all self-preservation is the first law of nature. And if this is what you feel it takes to preserve your preservation, then there’s nothing wrong with what you feel is in it for you.

I’m in-touch with another fellow writer who informed me that he wrote just to get away from real life, while at the same time he wished to leave something behind to let the world know that he did exist once upon a time, which I thought was pretty profound.

Outside of the fact that you do know how to write, is there some sort-of injustice, a wrong to right, the love of just writing, or do you see it as a calling? And once you come to terms with the reason why you write, it’s really then quite easy to go forward.

Our world is full of issues that need addressing, and writers such as your-selves to address these issues, so pick and choose your battles and your battlegrounds wisely. All the while preparing your-self for the backlash of subject matters considered taboo, risque, and an abomination. But if you feel that the subject matter is worth the persecution, and this is what you feel that you were born and even destine to write about, then who are we to stand in your way. After-all ever since the beginning of time those who dared to write have been persecuted, drawn and quartered for their ideas, thoughts and beliefs outside the realm of the norm, simply because they had a need to inform those not in the know, and it wasn’t always for monetary gains as these writers who either died, or were murdered and killed for their convictions, still to this day come to be an elite group of writers who did it because it had to be written, and it had to be told.

What to write about:

I think, therefore I am: When it comes to choosing the subject matter of just what you want to write about, the world is your oyster as that subject sits on the ocean floor, a world shroud in mystery and darkness as it waits on the light of day, or ideas to unearth its many secrets that lays waiting inside of a shell, waiting to be brought to the surface polished and shined for all the world to admire and marvel at as you set the stage for your pearl to take its place among a string of other writers.

So therefore, what could you write about?

Poetry, horror, drama, love and romance, cook books, gardening, history, life's experiences, science, mystery, how-to, and tell-all, vampires, zombies, space aliens and monsters, sci-fi, antiques, children's books, women subject matters, hair and beauty tips, flowers and plants, parenting, inside and outside of relationships, men subject matters, family, government, politics, economy, money saving tips, trains, planes and automobiles, guns and ammo, taboo, incest, religion, marriage, sex, abortion, civil rights, health care, houses and homes, shoe, purses and dresses, jewelry, gems, gold and silver, soldiers and war, weapons of war, radio, television and newspaper, adventures in growing up, and coming of age, stories of growing old, different countries and their cultures, art and music, movies, animals and pets, puzzles and crosswords, and as you can see this list goes on and on as far as one's own thoughts and ideas can imagine. So therefore when it comes to the choices one has about what to write, the field for interpretation is wide open.

Bless me father for I have written:

Do you have the divine blessings of the writing Gods: I would like to think that every writers dream aspiration is to one day write that holy grail of books; to be on the top of any one of the best sellers list, and for a moment in time to be known by all intrusive readers as the world’s greatest writer ever, and why shouldn’t your dreams be any different in your aspiring thoughts and dreams about an elaborate and successful writing career, than your predecessors before you?

The prophets of the Bible, the many works of William Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, Dean Kuntz, J.K. Rowling, James Patterson, E.L. James, Steven Spielberg, and Agatha Christy as you may have often asked yourself, why shouldn’t your name be synonymous with these other world famous books and writers? After-all you do know how to write, and your ideas and story-lines are just as compelling, gripping, intriguing, and at times just as fascinating and even interesting and informative as the works of these great writers.

Its within yourself that over time of your continuous writings beginning with your diaries, journals, and logs that you’ve come to strongly believe that you have all the qualifications needed to have the world to sit-up and take notice of just how you’re able to tell a story, or get your point across from beginning to end with a little sumpum, sumpum in the middle that says how you deserve to be revered as a true writer. And if this is the case, then it’s the writing Gods who now gives you [their, there, or they’re] blessings as you now have permission to start writing. If your mind can perceive it, then there’s no reason, why on God’s green earth that you can’t thrillingly achieve it. It’s a known fact, that God in-fact used carpenters, prophets, and teachers to do his good works, and he also used a great number of writers who’d never written anything before in their lives.

“So good luck in your quest, and may the roads ahead of you always be smoothly paved on the way to wherever it is that your writing takes you.

From Ann A Myta