Writing, like any other artistic or creative undertaking, is far from an exact science. We ain’t masters of the game. We don’t have a special rulebook. But we do know a thing or two about writing that’s helped us out from time to time. And here’s where we share our secret voodoo methods with you!


This week in the life of a writer with a deadline…

Being a co-owner, editor, and writer for Stumblebum Studios has forced me to structure certain parts of my life. I have to make the time to work on the site with Paul and Kevin, put together my regular article, the occasional supplemental article, movie reviews, and whatever else we are working on to promote the site and ourselves. Talking to the other guys I know they get the same draining feeling I do as the weekend rolls around and everything starts coming due. And that is what I wanted to talk about this week.

That draining feeling.

I am working on The Weigh In #22 and by my count that means I have done about five and a half months of the same weekly article, in one form or another. Due every week, so it can go on the site for the following week, this on top of work, life, and everything else that happens to pop up. Having to sit down and come up with a topic every week without fail.. in perpetuity. That is what I mean by the draining feeling.

But I have to admit, even as I am writing this article and thinking about the topic of my regular article in the back of my mind, I have to say I really enjoy putting my article together. Once I get the nugget of an idea for an article in my head, I enjoy actually sitting down and writing. I really can’t think of a lot of other things I’d rather be doing.

After the rambling…

Here is where the advice part of the column comes in. You have to like it. Especially if you aren’t getting paid to do it. You have to find a way each day or week, depending on your deadline, to make it fresh for you. Every once in a while, the finished product has to put a smile on your face. It can’t be about what it may get you in the future. You can’t do it for someone else, or to get noticed one day, or even to fill time. You have to be proud of yourself, and of what you accomplish.

Of course this is just my opinion…