Most writers I know have been trying to quit for years. But, they got themselves fooled into thinking they can tinker with a little writing here and there and then quit any time they want. Not going to happen.

Writing just leads to more writing. Case in point. I was safely going day to day happy to tell myself that my book was stalled and that I was going to spend me resulting idle years keeping bees. I decided to take a few minutes to prove to myself I was really stuck, so I wrote a few paragraphs without really caring how I did it, and suddenly the dam broke and the whole story came flooding through my house like a flash flood in a dry wash.

So now I have to keep writing because I can’t claim I’m stuck. Should have left the darned thing alone.

Writing a few words is like smoking just more cigarette, stopping at the old watering hole for one more drink, or shooting up a bit of heroin just once for the road–so to speak. None of these things help you quit any more than writing just one more word gets the writing addiction off your back.

Let’s call it what it is: an addiction. If you write, you’re addicted and cold turkey is the only way out.

Don’t even write a check or a Christmas letter or a note to the milkman, or a grocery list. Just stop. Think of this post as tough love. If you can’t stop, shoot yourself in the foot, have yourself committed to a home, or go to jail. It’s for the best.

Malcolm

Malcolm R. Campbell keeps writing novels because he thinks he can quit any time he wants.