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Transcript

Louis L’Amour's Writing Secret · The Daily Writer

• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Daily Writer, where we share a lesson each day to help you cultivate the habits for creative success.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: Has this ever happened to you?
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: You block out time on your calendar, you get your pen and your pencil or your computer ready, and you sit down at your desk ready to write.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: You've been looking forward to this time and you can't wait to get your creative juices flowing.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: So you sit there patiently waiting for the muse to arrive and deliver that creativity straight to your brain.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: You're ready to go and you're ready to transcribe what the muse gives to you.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: And there's nothing.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: Well, if you've ever had this experience, you're definitely not alone.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: Writers all over the world from the beginning of time have felt the creative well run dry sometimes.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: There are few things in life more frustrating than being a writer who is waiting for the words that just won't come.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: Now, but wait a second.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: If that's the case, how do we explain the world's most prolific writers?
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: What do we make of those authors who produce book after book for decades?
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: Well, one such person was the Western writer Louis Lemoire.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: He wrote over 100 novels and several books worth of short stories.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: What's more, he didn't start writing until his early 40s.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: Louis Lemoire was one of the most prolific writers who ever lived.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: What was his secret?
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: How did he deal with writer's block and produce so much work?
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: Well, he gave a little sliver of a secret when he said this.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: Start writing no matter what.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: Louis Lemoire was not known for long, confusing stories or explanations, so we can pretty much take his words at face value.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: If we want to approach our writing as professionals, we have to practice the discipline of turning the faucet on and just writing no matter what.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: One way to prime the pump, so to speak, is to come each day prepared with something to write.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: Make it a habit to plan your writing in advance.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: Keep a notebook or a computer file of ideas, and don't come to the blank page without a prompt or an idea of what you're going to say.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: Now, some writers resist this idea, believing that it's better to let creative inspiration come in its own time.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: But the lightning strikes you much more often when you're already standing in the rain.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: So go ahead and turn on that faucet and let the water flow.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for listening to today's episode.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: For more, you can visit us at dailywriterlife.com.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks, and I'll see you tomorrow.