A WRITER WITHOUT DISCIPLINE.

Are you a writer without discipline? You dream up amazing plots and ideas in your head but never get to pen them down? Your best works, bestsellers are usually floating in your head but never on paper?

A writer without discipline will end up an underachiever, despite the huge amount of talent. Hardwork will always beat talent if talent refuses to work hard. A great deal of writing entails… you guessed right…writing! A driver drives. A runner runs. A writer writes. A writer that does not write is  just a pretender, not a writer.

There are three classes of writers.

1. THE PRETENDERS : These may have some raw talent but write only when inspiration comes which is occasionally if not rarely. They talk passionately about writing but never get down to the actual work, citing numerous excuses: Getting published is so difficult, Nigerians don't read anymore, blah, blah, blah. They leave in their trail unfinished projects: incomplete stories and manuscripts. You can see them around you or even within.

2. THE AMATEUR WRITERS : These have resolved to take writing seriously and may have gotten around to complete some projects. But they still wait to inspiration to write and usually blame their dearth of work to the unavailability of theit 'muse'. They write when they feel like, which may be weekly or monthly and have a huge well of untapped potentials.

3. THE PROFESSIONAL WRITERS: These are committed to writing as their life's task. They describe themselves as 'writers' before anything else. They write daily, usually at set periods, whether they feel like it or not. They don't wait for inspiration. They work and inspiration flows. When they write, the effortlessness and beauty of their work is akin to Messi or Ronaldo with the ball, or Usain Bolt in the middle of a sprint. They see writing as their job and see themselves as athletes and thus train daily. You will recognize them by their prolific works. They churn out masterpiece upon masterpiece and soon their pen strikes gold. The awards come knocking. They are the Stephen Kings, the Ernest Hemingways, the Chimamanda Adichies, The Marlon James. They are the future you!

An interviewer once asked Somerset Maugham whether he had a routine for writing or writes only when inspiration strike. Mr. Maugham replied," I write only when inspiration strikes. Fortunately, it strikes every morning by 9am sharp."

Stephen King wrote 10 pages everyday, without fail, even on holidays. Ernest Hemingway wrote 500 words everyday. Consistency is key.

We should all strive to be professionals. We should become writers that actually 'write'. As writers, we are the collective mouthpiece of a generation and the voices of our society. We have been chosen to instruct, edify and change the way the society thinks and works. And none of this can be achieved without discipline.

So, roll off your bed. Stop the whining. Grab your pen and paper, tablet, smartphone, anything and WRITE.

©Kelvin Alaneme, 2015.
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