Schneider, Pat. "Toward a Disciplined Writing Life." Writing Alone and With Others. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.

This chapter deals with regular production of writing, or disciplining ourselves to continually write. Schneider believes that we should consider less our work as a discpline, and instead consider more making a consistent effort: " 'Discipline' usually means making ourselves do some duty, grit our teeth, force ourselves to do what we don't want to do. A discplined writer, we are told (or we tell ourselves) writes every day, writes X number of hours a day or X number of pages or paragraphs a day. We read how someone else structures his or her writing life, and we judge ourselves by this pattern. Unfortunately, many books on w riting reinforce this idea of discipline" (40).

I have to admit that I do need to, on occasion, be disciplined with myself. I have to say, I am going to write two pages a day in my novel this summer, or it will never get done, and I want to finish my MFA work by the end of the year. I look at envy at writers such as Stephen King, or other authors that have several books out, and wonder why I can't produce as quickly. I could write three articles a day as a journalist, but sometimes squeezing out five paragraphs in my novel feels excruciating.

But, Schneider feels that "The goal and the fruit of a true discipline is not publication. Neither is money or fame ... The goal and the fruit of a true discipline is completion. The completion of a work of art" (41). I need to remember that there is a reason why I began my novels, and that they might never be published (although I hope they are), but that writing them was more about the journey of creation, and not selling an end product. When I remember that these books are more about my dedication to the writing process, rather than a finished product, it takes the pressure off of me, and I can enjoy what I'm doing.

The chapter goes into some of the problems writers face when they are trying to produce, such as other life obligations, dealing with criticism that isn't constructive, not believing you have something important to say, the inability to believe you are an artist, and worrying that someone close to you won't like what you have written. Schneider says that a writer must learn to put craft before all of this, and to remember that writing is a pleasure to be pursued ... "think of it as a longed-for pleasure, as a hot fudge sundae, as that which pleases you, delights you, that which you love" (51). Taking the pressure off of the expression will help the words to flow. She also points out that "writing has its seasons" -- and sometimes, it's dead winter. If the words or ideas aren't coming, it's OK to recognize that you need some time to live and allow those ideas to come naturally. And when they do, make sure to give yourself time to write them down.