Andy Writes - And So Can You

Oh fuck. I’ve done it now, haven’t I?

A whole blog. For me to bang on about writing. Nah, I ain’t doing it. Proper wrong for me to think…

Hang on.

Think what? I can’t teach people how to write? Well, piss off mate, that’s not what this blog is for.

Now I’ve had a word with myself.

What I can do is share bits and pieces that are useful — because I found out by doing it wrong first. Fair deal? I fuck up so you don’t have to.

Nah, I can’t do it—

Why the hell not? I’m a 61-year-old writer from Coventry, England. I’ve been at this for years. And I am not an expert. Or even much good at it. At the dark times, anyway. And since this is me being honest? The dark times are most of the time.

Writing is fucking hard. I’m not messing. It is. Yeah, yeah, I hear all that shite about craft. Books you can read, YouTube bollocks you can watch. I say bollocks because writing is a doing craft. Let’s get that clear. No point watching stuff.

Get bloody on with it and write. Don’t take it easy on yourself. Fuck that. The words don’t get written if you do.

I write seven days a week. Have done for the last seven months. Yeah, seven months. I’m not telling you that so you call me a hero. I’m telling you because the learning point is one word.

Commitment.

Yeah, that’s it. Commitment. Big word, is that. But here’s the thing — it’s all writing needs. Get the words down. You’ll read crap like good writing is good editing and similar shite. Stating the fucking obvious, or what?

Here’s my take. How about you encourage people to write the words first? Eh? Editing can’t happen if there’s no words. So write the buggers. However they come out. Crash your fingers on those little plastic squares.

Bash away like your life depends on it. Then you’ll have words. Now, they might be shite. Mine usually are. But then? Aha. Now editing’s a thing. All that crap you read about editing? Now it applies.

Right, anyhoo. That’ll do for this one.

Remember — writing (I’m almost embarrassed to say this) is about getting the words down.

Commitment.