The Internet is the reference point of choice for mathematicians, scientists, teachers, and most certainly for writers. It has become a fact of writing apprenticeship that to write decently one should produce five hundred words each day. For day after day, week after week we grind out 500 words. I have written about my dogs from three different perspectives; as their owner, their friend, and as a fellow walker. Five hundred words about two dogs and after rereading the essay, it was not all that well written. But I did do the 500-word daily gig. The questions needing answers are: 1) Did it make me a better writer? 2) Did it teach me to write well? 3) Was the process of cranking out words worth a damned thing?
Did it make me a better writer? No, how could it? How does writing 500 words on Wednesday make them better than the 500 words written two weeks prior? It doesn’t. It can’t.
Did producing 500 words daily teach me anything about writing well? No. All it accomplished was to let me write on Facebook, “Another 500 words written!!” This generated many kudos from other aspiring writers trapped within the same vortex I was being sucked into.
And finally was any of this process worth a damned thing? Yes, for me it had value. Its value had nothing to do with writing per se, but I could not write at all well without having learned this one lesson. I learned to make writing a habit. I have learned to sit down with my open MacBook on my lap, knowing what I want to write about, and just write. I could not have learned to do this without the ordeal of writing 500 words every day.
When I first began this process, I wrote my short stories in segments of 500 words. There were days the words would not come. Even when I knew how I wanted the story to progress over that 500-word segment, the words would not flow. Writer's block is very specific. I put aside the story and began working an idea about a blog post I wanted to write. I also learned to keep a journal and write in 500-word segments. I wrote about friends, animals, my life partner my wife, even about going to a natural foods grocery store. All those subjects are excellent grist for a journal.
Your goal is to teach yourself that you can control how you write, what you write, and most importantly when you write.
Did it make me a better writer? No, how could it? How does writing 500 words on Wednesday make them better than the 500 words written two weeks prior? It doesn’t. It can’t.
Did producing 500 words daily teach me anything about writing well? No. All it accomplished was to let me write on Facebook, “Another 500 words written!!” This generated many kudos from other aspiring writers trapped within the same vortex I was being sucked into.
And finally was any of this process worth a damned thing? Yes, for me it had value. Its value had nothing to do with writing per se, but I could not write at all well without having learned this one lesson. I learned to make writing a habit. I have learned to sit down with my open MacBook on my lap, knowing what I want to write about, and just write. I could not have learned to do this without the ordeal of writing 500 words every day.
When I first began this process, I wrote my short stories in segments of 500 words. There were days the words would not come. Even when I knew how I wanted the story to progress over that 500-word segment, the words would not flow. Writer's block is very specific. I put aside the story and began working an idea about a blog post I wanted to write. I also learned to keep a journal and write in 500-word segments. I wrote about friends, animals, my life partner my wife, even about going to a natural foods grocery store. All those subjects are excellent grist for a journal.
Your goal is to teach yourself that you can control how you write, what you write, and most importantly when you write.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated.
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