Rob Parnell's Writing Academy Blog

"Getting paid for writing, son, is a triumph of tenacity over intelligence." I love this quote - it's one of my favorites - not least because it's one of my mother's. Mommie Dearest has always regarded writers - and me especially - as odd sorts.  The idea that we would spend a large portion of our day knocking out words has always struck her as, in her word, silly . A waste of time, basically, and not the sort of occupation for a sane person.  She may be right but that doesn't stop it from being a compulsion for me - and most other writers I know. I remember once when she came to visit me - which only happens about once a decade.  I was at a particular low point. Can't remember why. I think I'd just lost my way after a deal fell through. One of those times, you know? It was with great glee and insistence that she leaped on my misfortune and told me the situation was a God-given sign that I should give up all this arty stuff and s...

Here's the thing: sometimes you have no idea how your writing will go when you start. Sometimes the thought of starting is so stressful, you'll do anything to avoid the work. But you have to get started. You need a time in your day when you always write. You need to train your brain into knowing what that time is. Then just turn up. And let the writing take care of itself. They say it takes about a month to change a habit. That's why rehab centers use a 28 day program. A month is roughly how long it takes for the body and mind to adjust to a new set of rules and circumstances. There's no real cure for an addiction. The best therapists know that replacing a bad habit with a new obsession is way more effective than simply denying an urge that will no doubt resurface. The reason why most drug addicts go back to taking drugs is that, even though they may have rid themselves physically once, their situations, their daily lives, their friends and influences conspire to get th...