The most important writing lesson is the first one, the one that helps you decide whether you are a writer, a person who writes.
One of the best first lessons I’ve seen comes from a person who doesn’t like to write. Marc Payne, an information technology guy, did an interview with the Cool Tools blog, recommending index cards as tools.
Payne wanted to keep a record of his life. Every day, he records something on an index card: what he’s doing, a book he’s reading, a quote, something.
He dates the card and puts it in a card catalog tray. Today’s card goes in front of the card for Dec. 5, 2022, which is front of the card for Dec. 5, 2021. If Payne wants to see what he was up to a year ago or five years ago, he can find something about the day.
Asked why he preferred index cards to a notebook, Payne answered that he didn’t really like to write, but the small size of the notecard seemed manageable.
The part of the lesson I’d take home: Try small, manageable, often. Just try. See whether this kind of writing is for you. If it is, then you can proceed to Lesson 2, and start studying the craft.
I like the interview because I think that writing, at some level, has a lot to do with how you live your life.
• Source: “Marc Payne, IT Specialist,” Show and Tell #393, Cool Tools, 1 Dec. 2023.
interview by Kevin Kelly, blog founder, is here:
The part about index cards starts at 2:24.
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