Finally, the explanation of “go ahead and write crap.” Okay, I didn’t say it like that, but I AM a writer, and I like to vary my expressions. From that review, here:
One of the absurd rules he strongly suggest that we enforce while writing is “writing three pages a day.” I have read other books on creative writing, and although many professional novelists stress the importance of writing steadily everyday, Monteleone is the first one to say that we HAVE TO write three pages a day. His reason for this ridiculous rule? Simple. The faster you write, more books you can sell down the road. The issue of profit-driven writing surfaces again.
And I said, “Excuse me while I snicker. I’m (slightly) sorry, and maybe it makes me as arrogant as she says Monteleone is–but the writer of this review is clearly a literary artiste, who may labor days for the correct word and won’t go on until she’s got it…”
Here’s a hint–write the wrong-but-almost-right damn word and get on with it. The right word will come to you, and it’s easy enough to go back and put it in. It’s not like you’re typing the whole damn thing over again, you know.
In my (widely-separated) blogs on the craft of writing, I usually harp on “find what works for you” before I go into whatever I’m ranting about. But this one really is a no-brainer, folks.
You want to learn to write? Write. You want to write a novel? Write. Want to be hailed as the next literary genius? Write. Do you see a pattern here?
No, it honest-to-God does not matter how badly you write! That’s what re-writing is for. And trust someone who’s there–once you slog through 248,000 words to find the 80,000 or so that are actually needed for the telling of the story–you WILL learn to write better. Because damn it, you will NEVER want to hear the word “re-write” again.
Now go write.