Why Writing a Book is Like Walking a Dog
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I was walking my dog the other day when all of a sudden it
occurred to me that writing a book and dog walking are actually quite similar. At
first glance, this might seem a bit strange. How can walking a dog be anything
like writing a book? Well, I came up with four reasons why writing and dog
walking are similar.
You have to do it
every day. A dog needs regular walks, preferably every day, so I have to
take the dog out regularly for its exercise. In the same way, I have to sit
down to write regularly, again, preferably every day. A book only gets written
when its author sits down and works on it regularly. I have to put my fingers on
the keys often, writing and editing and spending time with my book in order to
get it finished.
It’s not easy to do every
day. Some days I really don’t want to take the dog for her walk. It might
be so cold I can see my breath misting in the air, or so windy I’m getting
blown about, or maybe I’m just feeling too lazy. But the dog still needs to go
out. And there are also plenty of days when I don’t feel like writing. I might
want to watch Youtube videos, or read books, or I might just feel lazy. But, no
matter how hard it is, the book needs to be written whether I feel like it or
not.
Your mood is
important. On the days I’ve been out with the dog and I’ve been grumpy about
it, everything seems worse than it is. The dog seems to misbehave more, or get
distracted, or simply not want to walk. But on the days when I make an effort to
enjoy the walk, things always seem to go a lot smoother. The same is true for
writing. If I go into my writing session feeling grumpy that I have to do it, then
I’m unlikely to get much written. But if I make an effort to be in the right
mood, then I am far more productive, and might even end up enjoying the session.
The dog/characters
will get distracted. My dog is still only a puppy, so she tends to get distracted
very easily. She will want to eat things, or carry rubbish in her mouth, or
sniff in the bushes instead of walking. And sometimes, the characters want to
do their own thing. They want to go off on wild goose chases and down rabbit
holes. And it can be very frustrating. But, just like I have to be gentle with
my dog and persuade her to walk the way I want to go, I have to be careful with
my characters and tempt them back to the plot.
What would you compare
writing to? Do you, like me, find it difficult to write every day? And does
walking (even without a dog), help you come up with ideas?
2 comments
Wow! I never thought of that. You have me thinking now:)
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how many things writing can be compared to. I saw someone who compared it to gardening, but I don't like gardening, so dog walking made ever so much more sense to me. Thanks for comment.
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