People write for all sorts of reasons. Most people who write would say it’s a calling or a job or some fun/important/fill-in-the-blank thing they decided to do. The best writing comes from people who can’t not write. The ones who have an innate talent to bring song and cadence and meaning to a string of words. The most memorable writing can come from people who may lack as much “natural” ability but ooze passion (and accept help, see below); giving voice to a cause is a potent weapon. And when you have talent or passion or both, you write what’s laid on your heart, even if there’s merely a small audience or “limited appeal.” The very best writers are also the ones who know they didn’t actually give birth to Words on a page, trying to lay claim to each one, clutching each to their breast. Translation? They employ professional editors and allow them to prune and shape and strengthen their words—and their impact. Published writers know great writing is most often a process.

Most people who write, or say they want to write, long for the “how” of the matter. How do you write? How do you do it well? Where are the magic beans?! But there’s no trick or pill or seminar or special writing ritual that makes the difference. Jonathan Fields recently wrote the following advice to writers on his blog entitled Book Marketing: What If You Could Only Do One Thing?:

Write because you give so much of a damn…Write because your heart tells you it’s a soulful, cognitive or moral imperative. Write because God told you this is why you’re here. Write because there’s something that’s gotta get out that nobody else can say. Write because you’ve got something to say that will leave people changed. But, more than anything else, write the #$@% out of your book [or article, manifesto, or whatever you want to set to paper]. Write to blow minds, rip open closed hearts, illuminate the human condition or otherwise move life’s needle forward in a profound way. Write as if this is your last book. Ever. Your legacy.

Patti Digh tells it like it is in her latest blog, How to Write (a Book). A Wee Rant, giving simple, practical, true advice. I agree with what she says, although I do think of myself as a writer and not only as someone who writes. I know the verb is the ticket, but writing is more than an action I do; it’s part of who I am. It’s part of me, just like the fact that I’m female, have blue eyes, and not as tall as I wish I were. Or maybe Patti would say no, it’s the verb, silly, because it’s something I choose to do, more like the fact that as long as there’s color in a bottle and a stylist to apply it, I’ll have highlights. I just can’t not do it. Not for long. I’m drab without highlights; I’m desperate without words.

In reading Jonathan’s and Patti’s and an endless list other “successful writers” talking to those wanting to be successful writers, you know what it’s really like? Writing is a lot like losing weight; it’s that simple and that complex. Eat less, move more. But that’s hard work (constant effort, consistent patterns), so we look for an easy button, a magic pill that allows us to eat our cake and wear our (small) pants too! OK, maybe I’m oversimplifying, but really, for most situations, it’s about whether or not you want to and choose to lose weight…or eat those melt-in-your-mouth Hot-Now doughnuts. Do you get off the couch and move your behind or not? Either you put in the time and work and restraint or you stay where you are. If you need extra assistance (a trainer, a dietitian, an accountability partner), help is available at every price point. (I work out and watch what I eat, so I know it is all about what matters more to me—being healthy and fitting in my clothes or eating with abandon and sitting still.)

The same is true with writing: Do you want to write…or just talk about it? So what now? To paraphrase Patti: Sit the heck down and write! You write! (Gosh, Patti is right, it does all comes down to the verb—the action.) Own your desire, decide what matters most to you, and act accordingly.