Writing Atrophy

I read an article yesterday where a writer was giving pointers surrounding his success. One of his points really spoke to me: Write every day.

Of course, he’s right. I tell this to new writers whenever I speak at writers’ conferences. It doesn’t matter if it’s five, five hundred, or five thousand words. Write every day. If you don’t, your story and characters will atrophy. And so will your writer’s brain.

Finishing the article, I felt my head recede into my shoulders as the tiny translucent-winged pixie who sits on my left shoulder began her harangue: “See, you literary wasteland? I warned you about letting your day job interfere with your writing - that you’d move further and further away from your story. That’s why NaNoWriMo exists. But, no, you’re too cool for school. You suck. If you don’t immerse yourself daily into your main characters, you’ll lose the emotional flavor that defines your writing. Is this how you won a major writing award, you excuse for an ink slinger? You’ll lose the grasp and tightness of your plot. You’ll erode. You’ll crack and wither…”

I flicked the pixie off my shoulder and sent her flying across the room, where she landed unceremoniously in the dog’s water bowl. Shaking the water off her wings, she stuck her tongue out at me. “Bitch.”

“Nag,” I replied.

I wonder if my fellow writing buddy, Dino, has this problem…Either way, I’m off to go write.