Some Instructions on Writing and Life: Thoughts

A quote that rings true is, “They kind of want to write, but they really want to get published.” I wholeheartedly agree that people often write with a romanticized vision of being published burned into their minds. Publication is a good goal to have, but it shouldn't be what drives you to put words on paper. You should write for you. This leads me to the next quote, "Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole journey that way." An excellent point that hits home for me. I've been having an issue lately, the need to "plan everything out" and know exactly what's going to happen before I even type the first letter of a story. As alluded to by Lamott, it's okay to not be perfect--most times, your first story won't be your best, which is another reason why people who care more about publication than quality of writing probably have the wrong mindset. Have you ever seen Breaking Bad? It's revered by many as one of the greatest television shows of all time (and its prequel, Better Call Saul, is building quite a reputation too). The writers behind this brilliant series didn't know what was going to happen when they began; they started with a concept and built as they went, all the way to the end; much like someone driving in the dark with the headlights on. And you know what happened? They made it the whole way. Hence, I think this quote holds water and should be kept in mind when deciding what to write.