Let’s say you want to write but you’re stuck. Blocked. Nothing’s coming out. But you can’t just sit there.

So try this:

(1) Get down a favorite book from your shelf. Find a passage you really admire. 

(2) Write it out longhand into your writer’s notebook.

See what you see. If nothing else, you’ll pay closer attention to words you believe to be great. Or if you are really looking to see how a story is put together, try writing the whole thing out. The task gives you time to think as you write, and rewriting it is an excellent reminder that that permanent-looking text was once an imperfect, sloppy draft.

WARNING: You are NOT to sit there and think about how much better the text is  than anything you will ever write. That is NOT part of the exercise. I will NOT be responsible for you if you choose to think that way…