Back in a time when life had less cynicism and more Ramen, I imagined that being a writer would be a noble profession. So I began reading books about writing, from the classic The Elements of Style by Strunk and White all the way to On Writing by Stephen King. Of course, I soon gave up that aspiration once I found that my web development skills had greater marketability (and I had bills to pay). However, there were more than a few lessons I took away from that time. For example, every book I read shared the same two points that each made very clear. First, if you ever want to be a writer, you must be an avid reader (as King wrote, "If you don't have the time to read, you don't have the time or the tools to write"). This point was made in yesterday's post about blogs to read. Secondly, and germane to today's post, is the fact that at some time, you must stop reading and begin creating. More specifically, King wrote that you should find a place where you can be most productive and just write (or perhaps in our case, create a website or start a business). From his book:We do best in a place of our own. The most important feature of this place: a door that you can and are willing to shut. No TV, no phone and no video games. Curtains closed. Write first with the door closed. Write for yourself without worry about theme, symbolism or accuracy of details.
So with one day of 2008 behind us, and many more ahead, consider how much time you do reading and surfing, and how much time you spend creating. And if you find an obvious leaning towards the former, perhaps you should take a temporary but definite break and put your knowledge into action. And remember this one last quote from King:
The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.
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