I remember all the tipsI found about writing when I was a teenager.  It was all great advice.  It’s just that I didn’t understand all of them.  One was: “Don’t find time to write.  Make time to write.”  For a high school student, this idea was brilliant.  I kept failing to write anything of length because there was always so much else to do.  Forcing yourself to write is one of the best things a writer can do for themselves.

As I quickly approach the district’s summer holiday, I realize there is a new layer to this advice.  It’s one thing to make room for writing in your day.  It is another thing entirely to make room for writing in your life.  I substitute teach and take odd jobs because it allows me to focus on writing and (most importantly) write every single day.  Lately, I only take about two days off a month from writing/editing.  I make the decision to write on a daily basis.  But I also take it into account when i make decisions about my life.

And I wouldn’t change a thing.

With Love,
Richard