Three commandments of writing from Henry Miller

One of the the things we like to do here at One Wild Word is pass on tips and interesting ideas about writing. We also like to feature other writers who contribute their expertise and love of writing. Because there’s nothing like having a community of like-minded people to encourage and energize you in your writing life.

So when I saw the post Maria Popova published at Brain Pickings about Henry Miller’s writing and daily creative routine, I knew I had to pass it on. Miller was known for his book Tropic of Cancer, but one of my favorites by Miller is The Colossus of Maroussi about his travels in Greece.

Here are three of Miller’s “commandments of writing and daily creative routine” from the post.

1. Work on one thing at a time until finished.
2. Write first and always. Painting, music, friends, cinema, all these come afterwards.
3. Don’t be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is in hand.

Be sure to visit Brain Pickings for Miller’s full list. One of my favorite blogs, Brain Pickings is described as “your LEGO treasure chest, full of pieces across art, design, science, technology, philosophy, history, politics, psychology, sociology, ecology, anthropology, you-name-itology. Pieces that enrich your mental pool of resources and empower you to combine them into original concepts that are stronger, smarter, richer, deeper and more impactful.”