Do you write every day? You should. Even if it’s not good writing. You can always edit what isn’t good and make appropriate improvements. You can’t edit what you haven’t yet written. Writing should be a vital part of your daily regimen. After all, that’s what it means to be a writer: you write. It’s probably the worst-paying job in the world, but it’s something we writers do with passion. I’ve often been asked why I write as well as what have I written. Or, more accurately, how many books have I published? Non-writers have this narrow-minded sense of perspective that only authors of published books (and lots of published books) are really serious writers. But, by definition, a writer is, quite simply, someone who writes.

I made my choice as a child. Growing up in a family of avid storytellers, where everything in life was a story and one to be shared during family meals (a daily regimen at least in our home). With so many others sharing their stories at the table, I, as the youngest, couldn’t get a word in edgewise. So, as soon as I learned how to write my letters and put words on paper, I was writing my stories. I was surprised, years later, when going through my mother’s personal effects, to discover that she had kept most of my childhood stories. I’d forgotten about these little treasures. It sparked a renewed interest in writing and since then I’ve committed myself to writing something every day, even if it’s a simple entry in my journal.

There are many ways we can keep our writing going regularly. I mentioned journalling as one way. Letter-writing is another way of expressing ourselves in words. And, I’m not talking about the emails and simple texts we frequently share throughout the day, though, arguably that’s writing, too. I’m talking about the lengthy story-infused handwritten notes we frequently sent via snail mail to friends and family. I can remember writing my grandmother just about every day and, if I popped the letter in the mailbox, she’d receive it the next day, and write me a reply. I also had penpals around the world – other children I never had the opportunity to meet, but we shared all kinds of stories and secrets. I even had a penpal in East Germany (on the other side of the Berlin Wall) back when the wall was still dividing the country in half.

I also take the time to read and write book reviews, and letters of complaint to manufacturers and even politicians, and I discipline myself to regularly write descriptive narratives and character sketches, even if it’s irrelevant to any of my current writing projects. Yes, it’s all a discipline and we must keep honing our skills. Besides, I never know when one of these exercises might come in handy for an actual story. Writing, for me, is as important as breathing. It’s my lifeline, my sense of being, what keeps me going and gets me up in the morning. After all, like I always say, life is a story just waiting to be told and someone to write it. So, let’s write and, of course, breathe.