All Writing Helps Your Writing

Lest I allow May to escape sans a post, I will interrupt my incredibly hectic schedule to pen a quick tip...with a nod toward some of what's been keeping me too busy to write weekly script tips of late.

I just polished version five of my speech for next week's Concord Boys and Girls Champions for Kids Breakfast. Prior to that I was working feverishly on the script for the video that is to be shown there.

Any writing helps your writing. And with projects like these that remove me temporarily from the scriptwriting realm, I am reminded how important it is to practice your craft, no matter what the form.

I've also been catching up on thank you letters. And congratulatory notes. 'Tis the season of graduations. And now that my children are both post-high school, the graduation announcements are flying back and forth.

I have three recommendation letters to pen (and if any of the three stop by this blog, they will wonder why I am writing this post and not their letters). And I sent an apology to an acquaintance of mine (never mind why!).

Used to be I'd dash off a note as a warm-up to my daily scriptwriting, especially when I was in grad school. It was a good habit then, like stretching before a run. Perhaps I should resurrect the daily ritual. If not to hone my craft, then to at least return me to the habit of writing daily screenplay pages, especially now that I have several screenplays due for a project that I and my partners are preparing to launch.

Try it for yourself: write your mother, your friend, your Congressperson. Pen an editorial. Or simply tweet a cohesive message. Then dive into your screenplay, novel, short story, memoir, or what have you. And write on!