This post is about 350 words.

You want to be a writer. You think you’ve got a brilliant author inside you, struggling to break free. The only way you’re going to become that person is devote all possible time to that endeavor, right? Maybe.

But perhaps you’ll go crazy if that’s your only outlet.

Like food, drinking, and hobbies, it’s all about moderation. Indulging too much will make you – where is this analogy going? – a fat, drunk, hoarder of words? Well, you’ll burn out, at any rate.

There will be times where you can’t look at your manuscript for one more keystroke. Other times, you’ve got nothing left in the tank. Or worse, you can do nothing but question your desire and ability to write the Great American Novel.

Sometimes a writer needs a break from the story. Even from that entire world churning about in his or her head. For me, sometimes I turn to blogging. It forces you to immediately consider the audience. If I can’t get a person to read a 400-word blog post about an idea that excites me, how in the world will I get her or him to read 40,000 words? Or a million words, because that’s what you’re signing up for, true believers.

Yes, it takes away time from The Writing. But so do proofreading and editing. Sketching maps and costumes. Talking to designers and researching literary agents. Pricing out postage and other administrative needs. These are all part of the process for me. Bringing a novel to life is about more than putting creative words on a page.

So, posts like this are therapeutic. But I also write them to entertain, educate, or give you a peek behind the curtain. Additionally, I want you to feel like this is time well spent – that you’re along for the journey. And sometimes, I’m writing just for myself because I need to direct the energy elsewhere or I want to capture a particular discovery I’ve found interesting. And if anyone else appreciates posts like those, that’s a tasty cherry on the sundae.

–Michael