Owen love's his momma.

Sometimes, I just don't feel like writing.
"A writer writes, always." is a quote taken from one of my favorite movies Throw Momma From the Train.  It's from the same movie that the title of this post derives.  I've been struggling with the motivation to sit down and write articles for some time. And so this quote has reminded me that if I want to be a writer then I must write something.  Whether the writing is good or not is not the only point.  There is great value in the doing.

I have been writing sermons for almost 10 years now, but since a sermon is oratory the process for writing sermons is considerably different than just writing on paper.  (At least that's the case for me.)  I do type my sermons on the computer, but I often speak them out-loud as I go along.  I need to hear them; I need to hear the way the words sound coming out of my mouth.  I need to listen to the sound of my voice in order to deliver a more gentle correction or a stern rebuke.  Or better still an affirming, "Well done!" It's difficult to catch some nuances in delivery if you don't practice them.

I recently finished reading C.S. Lewis' sermon The Weight of Glory I think I would have appreciated it more had I heard him deliver it. Perhaps I'll read it out loud next time. The point is that sermon writing is different. It's intended to be spoken and heard.

The other kind of writing I'm interested in is for entertainment.  It is for inspiration, But like sermon writing it is to engage other people minds.  That's why I appreciate C. S. Lewis so much.  His writings do all of that for me.  I like it when people say to me, "What you said made me think about something differently."  It doesn't necessarily mean that they've changed their mind.  It doesn't mean they've come to agree with me. Rather it means they've come to think about their own opinions.  I like that a lot.  I like it because now we can have a rational debate about a topic.

It seems to me, nowadays, that in our culture we don't know how to disagree with each other without vilifying our opponent.  We defend our positions with emotional argument rather than rational objective defense.

Not that there isn't a place for emotion and passion in an argument.  The problem is that if these factors are what shape the conversation, I'm afraid it's more likely to end in violence rather than in a peaceful solution.

Another hurdle is the unwillingness we have to change our positions.  When we are entrenched in said position with only an emotional defense, the only natural step is to act out in argumentative ways.

So regarding my writing, I hope that the exercise itself will improve my ability to communicate thought and challenge ideas.  I just want to stay motivated to keep writing.

The motivation I finally received came from a movie about a short dull unhappy little man named "Owen" who lived with his oppressive mother, whom he loved.  In order to better himself.  "Owen" took a creative writing course and by the end of the movie he had written a book.

Since before seeing that movie I've had this crazy idea that I might write a book or screenplay or articles that might somehow be useful to people  And let's be honest, I'd love to get filthy rich off of it too.

"A writer writes. Always." If I'm not writing there's no hope that desire to inspire, entertain, or teach will come about.  There is value in the doing, because in the doing perhaps something good can come.

So!  What is it that you should be "doing?"  Get out there and "Just do it."