What have you written today?  Created today?  Imagined today?

—  NULLA DIES SINE LINEA  —
never a day without a line
Horace  65-8 BC

This is a motto that can be adjusted to any discipline.  Never a day without a sketch.  Never a day without a stitch.  Never a day without a dream.

You get the picture.

In the words of Donald M. Murray:  “The rear end is the writing muscle that makes the difference between the writers who want to write and don’t, and those writers who want to write and do.”

Every day.  At least a line.

Seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.

Now get to it.

nulla dies sine linea
Never a Day Without a Line
Horace 65-8 BC

What have you written, created, dreamed today?

Are you writing/creating?  If so, keep at it.  If not, why not?

I recently attended the inaugural Maine Crime Wave conference offered by the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance (MWPA).  If you are not a member of such an organization, I highly recommend you join.  If you live in Maine, I highly recommend this one.

Imagine a full day of panel discussions and workshops in the company of other writers and creatives.  Imagine sitting in a workshop with an author whose books you’ve read and receiving insights into that writer’s process.  Imagine a panel made up of those who write and those who publish offering advice, constructive feedback, and encouragement.  Imagine opportunities to chat with others who “speak the same language,” to have a manuscript critiqued, to interact with a broader community.

How could you not come back to your writing desk inspired and enthused?

The theme I heard most often repeated by writers and publishers alike was:  write a good book. Put your seat to the seat and keep putting it there until it’s done. Publishers are looking for well written characters in well written stories. Don’t think about publication until you have written something to publish! It’s that simple. Take one step at a time and the first step is: write a good book.

I can’t say enough about the value of occasional conferences, retreats, and workshops.  They constitute an important part of my writing life.  I’m not a crime writer, but I gained a great deal from this very full day of immersion in the writer’s craft in the company of other writers. (And, I may just pull out that short mystery story I wrote years ago and give it a rewrite!)

Reinforced message of the day:  seat to the seat.  Again and again and again.