'The first word, and last'

 

“Fear is felt by writers at every level. Anxiety accompanies the first word they put on paper and the last.” – Ralph Keyes

 

Born in Ohio in January of 1945, Keyes is a lecturer and author of 16 books including Is There Life After High School?, adapted into a Broadway and nationally touring musical. And his book The Courage to Write has become a standard for aspiring writers.

 

 A graduate of Ohio’s Antioch College, where he studied journalism, Keyes is a frequent contributor to magazines ranging from GQ to Good Housekeeping to The Harvard Business Review.  He’s also been a regular commentator on National Public Radio’s “On The Media” and “All Things Considered.”  

 

 “I’m often asked why I write so often about ‘negative’ subjects: tensions between fathers and sons, adolescent angst, time pressure. My answer is that exploring such topics on paper helps me get rid of them,” Keyes said.  “Writing can be wonderful therapy, and cheap at the price. At the very least, you eventually get bored by thinking about anxious topics and want to move on”