“Rage, rage against the dying of the light…”

Dylan Thomas reminds us in his poem Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, to be mindful of how life, love and energy is spent. I apply that same reasoning writing. That same desire to create, fulfill should be present in the life of every writer.

I cannot tell you how much you should work your craft, or how often you should write. There are no shortcuts to being a writer. You have to write! I must be part of what you do, in order for it to be a part of whom you desire to become. There are no shortcuts in this. There is no faster way to become brilliant.

Or more poetic.

Or more learned.

It comes one thought, letter, word, word-space-word pattern at a time.

The thing you love, you work at. You learn more about it. You learn the nuances, fortify the foundation things. You make it your own! The thing that you love, calls to you, and demands all that you have. It will always demand that!

Focus. Time. Integrity. Stewardship.

For the love of your writing, for the love your craft, you have to consider what that means. And will mean to you. Find your love, your voice in your writing and find your heartbeat in the twenty-six letters–one more and again.

[image from kallieross.com]