You can do anything you put your mind to. No truer words were ever spoken. Sometimes we don't realize what we are capable of until we try it. When I first started writing, it was more out of necessity than anything else. An idea was born and something inside me took hold and forced me to put pen to paper. I never had a desire to write - I hated writing in fact, but I couldn't escape, no matter what I did. So despite my previous thoughts on writing I gave it a try. And the more I wrote the easier it became. Writing is hard don't get me wrong, but like anything else the more you do it the better you become. In practicing the art of writing, I soon learned that I couldn't have been more wrong in my thoughts towards it. It wasn't that I disliked writing as a whole, it was certain kinds of writing I didn't enjoy. When I could choose what I wanted to write I truly enjoyed it.
When I decided to finally tackle writing as a hobby, I began to wonder how much I could actually write. 10,000 words? 20,000? 50,000? a whole book? The idea seemed daunting to me, but I was up for a new challenge. Something I had never done before. I began to wonder, how does one go about writing a book?
The simple answer, you write, and you keep writing until its done.
The more complex version, you plot and you write and you edit and you write and you write some more. You let the idea take you on a journey and you see that journey through to the end.
Don't sweat the small stuff. If something isn't working or doesn't feel right or the ideas arent flowing at all, walk away and come back later. Sometimes inspiration strikes when you least expect it.
Perseverance! Should you write every day? Most certainly, but sometimes that isn't always possible. However, that doesn't mean you should let weeks on end pass by and not write. And even if that happens, don't give up, revisit your writing. Treat your writing like an old friend, pick up right where you left off no matter how much time has passed.
Read! Never stop reading. Even when you are writing. It can show you the best and the worst of the trade, and everything in between. And you can learn from it all. What you should and shouldn't do. It can drive your inspiration.
Learn! Never stop learning. Take a writing class, get a book, join an online forum, read writing blogs etc. No one person can know every detail about one subject so never stop trying to learn about it.
Even doing all of these things, I won't lie and say writing a book was a picnic. It's a long winding and bumpy road. It's not easy to bear your sole onto paper and then stare back at it thinking you have a masterpiece. Ever writer at some point doubts their work or their direction or even their writing. It's what keeps us grounded. But just because you hate what you wrote, does not give you a pass to stop doing it. Pick yourself back up and move forward either with that story or another. Keep moving forward not matter how long it takes. It's not a race but the prize is finishing. The sense of accomplishment.
Point is don't let anyone ever tell you that you can't do something - including yourself. Prove the naysayers wrong and go out there and do it. You'll be surprised what you have in you. I know I was!
When I decided to finally tackle writing as a hobby, I began to wonder how much I could actually write. 10,000 words? 20,000? 50,000? a whole book? The idea seemed daunting to me, but I was up for a new challenge. Something I had never done before. I began to wonder, how does one go about writing a book?
The simple answer, you write, and you keep writing until its done.
The more complex version, you plot and you write and you edit and you write and you write some more. You let the idea take you on a journey and you see that journey through to the end.
Don't sweat the small stuff. If something isn't working or doesn't feel right or the ideas arent flowing at all, walk away and come back later. Sometimes inspiration strikes when you least expect it.
Perseverance! Should you write every day? Most certainly, but sometimes that isn't always possible. However, that doesn't mean you should let weeks on end pass by and not write. And even if that happens, don't give up, revisit your writing. Treat your writing like an old friend, pick up right where you left off no matter how much time has passed.
Read! Never stop reading. Even when you are writing. It can show you the best and the worst of the trade, and everything in between. And you can learn from it all. What you should and shouldn't do. It can drive your inspiration.
Learn! Never stop learning. Take a writing class, get a book, join an online forum, read writing blogs etc. No one person can know every detail about one subject so never stop trying to learn about it.
Even doing all of these things, I won't lie and say writing a book was a picnic. It's a long winding and bumpy road. It's not easy to bear your sole onto paper and then stare back at it thinking you have a masterpiece. Ever writer at some point doubts their work or their direction or even their writing. It's what keeps us grounded. But just because you hate what you wrote, does not give you a pass to stop doing it. Pick yourself back up and move forward either with that story or another. Keep moving forward not matter how long it takes. It's not a race but the prize is finishing. The sense of accomplishment.
Point is don't let anyone ever tell you that you can't do something - including yourself. Prove the naysayers wrong and go out there and do it. You'll be surprised what you have in you. I know I was!
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