400 Words Now

Why am I starting a blog where I write 400 words a day?

Well, there's a number of reasons.

1. I need to write more.

I often say that I'm a writer or that I'm going into the field of journalism because I enjoy writing, but the truth of the matter is that I don't write much. Sure, I think about things to write about, I plan stories and I read other's works - but I don't take the time to actually bang out words on a screen enough.

If I want to get better, if I want to become a writer, I have to write. It's like calling myself an astronaut without ever getting on a space shuttle or calling myself a chef without ever cooking.

2. I want to create in a community.

I’ve become aware that all art and all creativity happens when people get together.
C.S. Lewis, one of my absolute favorite writers, met with other writers in a group called the “Inklings.”

Michael Card, one of my favorite artists, released a live album called “Scribbling in the Sand,” where he details how his songs came to be. None of them happened in a vacuum; all of them were the result of relationships and interactions.

I need to open my creative works to critique, examination and improvement.

3. I want to give myself specific goals for writing.

I picked the goal of 400 words a day from an anecdote about either Neil Gaiman or Terry Pratchet (probably from the introduction to the novel they co-wrote, Good Omens) that one of them at least wrote 400 words a day, every day. The story goes on that one of them finished a novel with 200 words to go, so they picked up a sheet of paper and wrote the first 200 words of the next story.

It’s a good story, and a good goal.

If for some reason, I’m unable to post, I will still write said 400 words and post them as soon as possible.

4. I write best when I’m forced to.

Well, maybe not forced to, but when I have some structure.

When someone says, “Write! Be creative!” I’m left drawing blanks.

When someone says “Write about spies! Write a poem! Write a historical comedy about poets who are also spies in 19th Century Great Britian!” I’m inspired.

So to that end, I will accept ideas from you, the reader, about things I should write about.

But whatever the topic, it’s 400 words a day, every day.