Inspiration has commitment issues.

So, you're sitting at your computer in a quiet library or den or coffee shop or wherever you seem to write best. You have your thought-enhancing beverage of choice--green tea, coffee, energy drink, 300-proof vodka, or a combination of all of these. Conditions are ideal for you to write life-altering words. Conditions are too ideal. Your fingers are eager to type words, but your mind is offering you no concrete thoughts. Nooo... it can't be. It is.Writer's block.

Inspiration stood you up. Again. What do you do? You can't sit around and wait for it. You're also not going spend all night searching for it. Not this time. You're going to go live your life. It will eventually come to its senses. In the meantime, you're going to that party you were invited to. Yeah. GO.

You're at the party and, for once, not even thinking about inspiration. You're just having fun. And then, there it is. It shows up. Who invited it? It doesn't matter. It's there. What do you do? No. You're not going to leave early. Not tonight.

You still don't want to waste this opportunity. Hmmm... you could write down your inspired ideas on the bathroom walls. It seems like that's what a lot of inspired people do. No. Wait. Your cell phone! Your "smart phone." Perfect. Every time inspiration gives you a good idea, you type it into your phone.

You get home from that party. Finally, you have something to work with! You take a look at the notes you saved on your phone:

"This chubby guy really likes to dance. I really wish he were wearing a shirt."

"Something I learned tonight--there are, in fact, people who watch 'Jersey Shore' and genuinely want to be like the characters on the show."

"My shoe smells like dog poop."

Hmmm. Not the best material, but it's something.

Here's my point. Being a writer does not force you to be anti-social. In fact, you're probably more likely to find inspiration to write if you're actually out doing things. Technology makes it even more possible to maintain some type of productivity in unfavorable circumstances. Utilize it. It may even ease the pain of the $70 dollars you donate to your cell phone company every month.

Life is a sketch.

Sometimes, we humans, tend to put too much faith in planning.

It's Friday evening and you're going to hang out with some friends. One of these friends is a girl whom you wish was more than a friend. This is the night you will make this come true. You look in your closet. There's that shirt. That perfect shirt that you originally purchased with the thought that, in the back of your mind of course, this shirt will impress that girl. You're going to wear this shirt and you're going to make great jokes tonight. You're also going keep your composure and not overreact to the fun you're having. You're going to be the perfect blend of funny and cool, plus you're going to be wearing that shirt. There's no doubt that if you execute this simple plan, this girl is finally going to see you in that "more than just a friend" light.

It's Friday night and you're laying in bed, thinking about how the night could have went better. You shouldn't have made that joke about the body parts of old people. That was it. That joke was too far. It made her uncomfortable. It was a good choice to wear that shirt, but you forgot how awkward that pair of jeans fits. Shouldn't have wore those jeans.

This is life. You plan things. Things don't go as planned. It frustrates you. Yet other times, you have no plan and somehow things go really well. 

Writing is often like this. You think you have a dynamite plan and you start writing and you struggle and then three hours later you end up with garbage. Other times, you start writing on a whim and somehow you end up with words you didn't think you were capable of writing.

I prefer to think of the writing-process as "sketching." I dislike the word "drafting." It has a dreadful connotation to it. It's easier to "sketch" your words. You have a vague mental model of what your final product will look like and you write until your words start to resemble that model. 

You might even have to write, edit, and revise all at once. Remember: you're a sketch artist--translating a vision in your head into something that artfully, and not even necessarily accurately, portrays that vision.

Feel free to take the sketching analogy about writing and apply it back to life in general. I've done all I can do at this point.

Um. Do I know you, Audience?

One commonly overemphasized writing-tip is the importance of knowing your audience. You need to know who your potential readers are and what they want to hear and how they want to hear it and yada yada blah blah blada. 

Of course, in order to do this, you must go door to door and interview each of your potential audience members. Get to know them, maybe invite them out for a mocha-chino or something. Then, and only then, can you truly become aware of the words your audience desires to hear.

If you don't have time to interview all of the people of the earth, here are some more practical tips for trying to understand the audience.

1. Read the work of others and pay attention to what readers are saying about it: When you write, you should try to aim for the level of quality achieved by established writers. For example, if you want to be a sports journalist, you should be reading articles of well-known sports journalists. Take note of what readers are saying about their work by reading the comments below the articles. Bob Roberts might be a plumber, but he can still pick up on the fact that ESPN writer-guy didn't bother to check his sources before he posted the latest scoop on Equestrian Vaulting.

2. You are part of your audience: Consider your own judgement. If you are a reader (as emphasized in the first point), you should trust that you can perceive what quality writing looks like and what captivates readers. If you don't find your own writing to be at least somewhat compelling, then it is not likely anyone else will.

3. Establish a connection with your audience: You might know your audience, but you need to let them know you know them. Trying referencing a specific fact or making a joke that you know many potential readers would relate to and appreciate. Establishing this personal connection will provide a bridge for readers to cross over into the land of newer and fresher ideas (which is the primary purpose of writing, right?).

Remember: Get to know your audience. Use this knowledge to "build the bridge." Then, finally, you can take them on a spiritual journey to the promise land of your words.

Developing versatility for a business-oriented world..

I aspire to be a "writer" someday but haven't decided on a specific style or subject area to pursue. It's nice to imagine becoming a modern day Shakespeare, but society's strong business orientation makes it increasingly difficult to pursue this type of writing career. (Producing Shakespeare-quality work might also be difficult.)

In order to live a somewhat financially stable lifestyle, one must become versatile. I'm hoping to do this by utilizing my above-average writing skills to develop a diverse portfolio of business-compatible experience. Ideally, I would like to a number of possible of career opportunities that will allow me to avoid extended periods of post-graduation starvation.

As soon as I write a best-selling novel or screenplay, however, I'm retiring from the business world and moving to the beach.