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Your Writing: The Good And Bad News
You can become a successful writer if you keep this one caveat in mind: lower your expectations. In fact, throw them away. I can’t imagine wanting to be a writer and not dreaming of fame and fortune. It’s a shame these two objectives typically go hand-in-hand, because I think we’d have a much wider selection of good writing if not for the suffocating task of “making it big.” I know there are some who are perfectly content with committing their thoughts to private journals (God bless their self-awareness and humility), but most of us would rather see our literary toil manifest in a best seller, prominently displayed in its own kiosk at Barnes and Noble. Few of us ever experience such elation. None of us should expect it. This expectation, I suspect, is the seed of that ugly weed called writer’s block. So, put away your expectations, put on some gloves and prepare to do a little gardening. Lower your expectations and before you know it a robust body of work will begin to bloom. What kind of work? Well, here’s the bad news (not so bad, really): If you actually allow yourself to write, to let the words flow from your brain through your fingertips without expectations, the finished product might be something very different from what you first envisioned. If you want to write, you need to give up your false sense of control. You may start out trying to write a Dan Brown-like blockbuster, and find out that you are a pretty good journalist. You may dream of a byline in The New Yorker, and find you actually have a flair for writing advertising copy. I wanted to dominate the New York Times Bestseller List with my dark suspense novels, and found out I am more comfortable writing articles and short essays (then along came blogging and I found a home!). The point is for you to start thinking (writing) outside of the box. Start thinking outside the “I’m going to be rich and famous” box, the “I need to pick a genre” box, and by all means the “I can’t write because a famous writer suggests I might not have any talent” box. But above all you need to embrace the idea that all writing is worthwhile, whether you’re writing flyer copy for a community rummage sale or channeling John Steinbeck. It all matters. This may seem like haphazard advice, but it’s really an exercise to help you form a daily writing habit. Writers always write. Writers don’t just write on the weekends, or when they retire, or when the kids go off to college. They write when they’re writing and they write when they’re not writing. If you are persistent in your daily writing routine, you will soon understand what that last statement means. If you’re still drawing a blank over what to write about, try this exercise. Make a bullet-point list of something you know how to do. It can be as mechanical as this: • Bring water to a rolling boil • Add pasta of choice • Stir regularly to avoid sticking • Drain water through a colander • Top with favorite sauce and serve hot Make sure you don’t miss a step and that they are in order. Your list will be a contextual roadmap to keep your piece on track and moving forward. Now, just dress it up like a Christmas tree. Add detail, emotions, a sense of place, even tension and suspense if you’re so inclined. It’s just an exercise, so no one will ever read it. But then again, it may turn into something spectacular if you do not judge its value and remember that your expectations are not worthy collaborators. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Tom Elliot is an editor, copywriter, and tech writer at an upstate New York multi media firm. To read more on overcoming block, visit Vacuuming the Cat at www.catvacuum.com |
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