Five Minute Friday – Write

Joining in with Lisa-Jo’s Five Minute Friday today.  The prompt for today is “WRITE”.  I’m setting my phone for 5 minutes.  Ready, set, GO!

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As someone who has loved books my whole life, I’ve always dreamed about writing my own.  And as someone who can go through a new book in a day (two or three if it’s really long), I figured it couldn’t be that hard to do it.

And yet, I sit here with multiple “starts” of a novel on my computer, all with some common themes but all different.  When I reread them I like them and am interested, but I’m blinded by where to go from there.

What’s the right way to write?

Do I have to have the whole story line mapped out before I start?

Do I start with one character and a loose idea and just go?

What’s required to write? What’s not?

And that might be my problem.  I might be too much of an engineer to write.

I don’t think there’s one right way to write.  Some people map out the whole thing.  Some start with just a general idea.  Some write in chair’s looking over fields, some write in their local Starbucks, some write in their own office.  Everyone does it there own way.

But I want a to-do list!  I want a 1, 2, 3  list for “how to write a great book”.  I’m scared to start and do it wrong.

But I think I’m learning that the only way to do it wrong is to not start.  I’m going to spend some time this weekend thinking on my favorite story that I’ve started and try and write a few more words in it.  My guess is, in the end, this whole story will end up in the trash.  But if the writing is as cathartic for me as designing is then that’s the whole point.  Using writing to help me release my stress and let God teach me through what I write.

I’m praying for those of you who are also wanting to write.  A blog.  A letter.  A tweet.  A book.  They all take courage.  Let’s have courage together.  Let’s support each other and know that there’s no one right way to write.  Just like there’s no one right way to mother. Or to live. Or to follow Christ.

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Time’s Up!  Check out the other fantastic writer’s over at Lisa-Jo’s.  And, if you’re so inclined, set your timer for five minutes and write, unedited.  My guess is it will be better than you think it will be.