Resolved (Part 5) – A Ride on the Reading

A time-tested tactic for wanna-be writers is buying a ticket to “Ride on the Reading Railroad.”

A “Ride on the Reading” is steeped in railroad lore ... get on board at Imagination Station.  Take some “Train of Thought” transport.

Train of Thought is all about being impulsive.  The Train of Thought engineer doesn’t dither over whether something is silly or trite.  Train of Thought writing defies every social convention we’ve learned since, oh, 'bout the age of 2:

                    “Johnny, be careful.  Are you allowed to run off
                      into the street?”

                    “Don’t eat that candy!  What are you thinking??!”

                    “I suppose if everybody else jumped off the cliff, 

                      you’d jump off a cliff right after them, wouldn’t you?”

                    “Marcie, now that’s just plain stupid!”

Remember: Writing is easy.  Editing and rewriting are tough.

In order to edit and rewrite, you’ve got to have something down on the page to begin with.  And there’s the rub!

I’m tellin’ you: Write something. Anything!
 

Yes, you have to be careful about what you publish to the world.  But for now, you’re just writing.  For right now, just write, and worry about being careful when you edit.

Yep, you’re thinking too much.  Not allowed.  Write.  This is train of thought, and your engine’s still back at the station admiring the chassis of some cute caboose.

Yeah, it sounds just exactly like the same old crap everybody else is writing.  Get unique later, when you revise this crap.  For now, do what every 6-month-old dog has learned to do: Crap on the paper!  Now!

And yes, it’s better if it’s pithy and smart, but you’re more apt to write something stupid.  So put something stupid down, get over it and move on.  You can improve on it later.

Write now! While you tergiversate in search of precisely the right word, three tremendous ideas have gone in and out of your brain before you could jot them down.  

Write now! Let your imagination fly across the landscape, white steam streaming back against the powder-blue horizon, parallel to main track; the gnashing of metal gears and wheels a mere click-clack in the distance.

Write now! There’ll be time enough tomorrow for shoveling of coal and clearing  the track of fallen debris.

Write now! Get the inspiration down and stir in the perspiration later.

Write now ... and get it right later.

Right now, the Muse won’t wait – and shouldn’t have to ... she’s a passenger on board the Bard Express.

Next: Resolved (Part 6)

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