A lot of non-writers out there think that this writing thing is easy. It’s not. I know that. Every writer knows that. Think of your notebook as a canvas, your pen, a paintbrush. Now you must come up with an idea of what to paint. You have to make sure that the painting gets the attention of people. Think of that drop of paint you want to run across that piece of canvas. Where do you start? Think about the curves and edges you are hoping to perfect in that painting. Now, do you get the picture? Writing is like painting. Because whereas painters use a different color combination to come up with a masterpiece, writers use words.
Writing is not easy, so don’t beat yourself up.
Valentine’s day is coming up, and since we love you guys to the moon and back, we decided to help you out and give you insights of what you should know as a writer. Trust me, they are better than roses. Now, let’s get cracking, shall we?
Skill over talent
There are some people who are born with that knack for writing. Talent, it’s called. Words just come easily to them, and not to you. We just love to hate them, don’t we? Don’t. Stephen King once said, talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is hard work. If you work hard, those talented chaps have nothing on you.
Nobody cares about your writing degree
Since I started writing, no one has ever asked where I got my writing degree. No one cares. What they are wanting to know is whether you know how to write well, simple.
It is a slow process
We get this a lot, especially for blogs. “I have been blogging for a month, why don’t I have a readership?” Nobody becomes a writer overnight. Your readers need to have trust that you will deliver. Cultivating trust takes time. Once they trust in you, trust me, they will never leave you. So, be calm and keep writing.
Storytelling is a serious industry
Stories are what make s the world go around and round. Each and every one of us has a story to tell. You treat it with the respect it deserves, it will respect you.
You are your own worst enemy
Not your readers. Just you. If you are failing in your writing endeavors, then you are the only one to blame. If you don’t edit your work well, do you blame the readers? How about when your readers find the post lacking? Who then? How about instead of complaining, sit down at your desk and write a post worth reading? Write, rewrite, edit then write some more.
Harden up
Your work is going to be hated on and rejected. Then it is going to be rejected some more. Your manuscript will be used to light some jikos somewhere. Most people don’t respect what you write, let alone pay for it. But still, you keep going.
Always edit your work
Edit that work like it owes you money. And when you are done editing, edit some more until its perfect. Even when you feel it is perfect, give it to someone to read. He may see mistakes that you didn’t. After all, another set of eyes has never hurt anyone.
Connect with the people in your industry
Rather than working online all the time, work offline for a change. Go to events, meet new people and network. Exchange ideas, even bad ones. Let them correct you, mold you and help you grow. You never know. You might find someone to charm with your manuscript in between those networking sessions.
Don’t be boring
Seriously, you have like a gazillion words at your disposal and you write a shoddy story? You need a beating. Someone needs to slap you silly! That is the worst thing you can do to your readers.
Writing is words; storytelling, life
It is true that to be a writer, you must read as well. But if you want to be a storyteller, you need to get out there, see the world, experience stuff you have never dreamed of doing like jumping off a plane or eating snakes (seriously, don’t eat snakes) or trying to walk on water. If you don’t experience stuff, what are you going to write about?
Everything can be fixed in a post
The best thing about writing especially in blogs is that in ten years when you realize you made a mistake in a post you wrote all those years ago, you can still edit it. All am saying is, mistakes can be corrected, that’s why pencils have erasers.
Don’t quit
Remember when I said earlier that the worst thing you can do is write a boring post? Well, disregard that. The worst thing you can do is quit. Why did you start to blog only to leave it half way? All that work, all that complaining and then you just quit? Then you were never a writer in the first place.
If you consider yourself a writer, then there is just one thing to do. Write.