Novels & Dogs

Lovely advice from Canadian novelist Michael Winter except . . .

Walk a dog.

That would be a deal-breaker.

We are not a dog (or cat) person. (What? You could already tell that because I . . .?)

This from the Q. and A. article:

"As a student it's hard to make the time to write. I find that I have to capture bursts of creativity and inspiration as they come, but it's not a very effective approach in trying to compile a body of work. How can I find opportunities to write and hone in on my craft?" - Michelle, Brampton

Throw away your television, disable your laptop's Wi-Fi and go to bed earlier and get up earlier and write. Drink less alcohol. Party less. Find a dog you can walk and write down what you see on your walk. But best is to write before you do anything else in your day. Write when no one else is up. Preferably in the morning. You'll feel superior all day. Also, you'll feel like you're a writer. Much better to do this than wait all day and be grumpy that you haven't written and then trying to write when you're tired at two in the morning. That's doomed to failure and also your friends and family will think you're just a lousy human being. I say that because I've been there, been called a lousy human being. It hurts. No, best to get up with the sun rising and write. Walk a dog. It's hard, just as it's hard to throw yourself into cold water and swim. But once you're in the water, it's the most wonderful feeling on earth. So, write in the morning!

The whole interview is here.

Just keep writing.