We'd all like to think that wanting to write, the will to write, the dream of writing, is enough to bring ideas to life on paper (or an eReader screen). Alas, no.
A day doesn't go by (on days when I actually mingle with people outside my work-in-progress) that someone doesn't say something akin to, "I've always wanted to write. There are so many stories I've wanted to tell. I LOVE to read. I'd love to have the chance to write some day..." To which my first, and, yes, brutal response is currently, "So, DID you write something today?"
Because that's THE secret. The only secret, and the hardest lesson to learn in any writer's journey. If you want to bring a story to life (in a way that someone else can experience what you alone have imagined), you have to create it. Story doesn't write itself. Ideas and raw creativity are God-given gifts, and everyone's unique voice is innate. But voice and ideas and characters and creative flair, no matter how good you are at stringing words together in beautiful ways, aren't story.
Wanting and willing and dreaming alone don't get the job done. Working at your writing process until the process and that first story and then the second and then the one after that makes sense to someone other than you--and entertains someone else besides you--is the one true path to being a writer. At least, if what you want is to write for others beyond yourself.
Particularly in today's reality of everyone being able to self-publish their work, it's never been easier to share what you write. But understand--publishing and even selling your writing doesn't mean you're connecting with readers. If a reader takes your writing in, brings it to life in his or her imagination, keeps that experience within them, still experiencing it long after your words are through with them, and comes back for more, eager to buy your next work--then what you've done is created story. You've connected. Your imagination and vision and characters and plot have become part of another person's consciousness. You've been understood, and hopefully you've entertained or moved that other person. Congratulations. This is how writing careers begin.
But...if that' s not been your experience, if readers aren't flocking to your work or editors and agents aren't lining up to rep or contract with you, then you might be finding yourself becoming increasingly frustrated with the question of, "Why the hell not?"
Some writers don't much care. They're writing to express themselves and as a create outlet, and they derive pleasure simply from the exercise of creating. To which I say, "Bravo!" However, if your burning passion lies in the writing AND the connecting with readers, then finding your audience becomes a matter of how well you convey your story.
To which I say:
You need to get busy figuring out how to better create story that is accessible to your intended audience.
That's a mouthful, I know. And I'll break this personal mantra of mine down in just a few minutes. Because if you can't understand this, then you will find yourself quitting. And we all want to quit, even multi-published, "successful" authors. Maybe especially the authors you think would never, ever consider quitting. Maybe because we know just how hard this is and that we're never finished learning and that the next book is always going to seem harder, if not actually be harder, to write than the last book.
We all find ourselves from time to time (and some of us more often than we'd like to admit) somewhat adjacent to "I Give Up!" The secret is to keep writing anyway. The REAL secret is figuring out how you write, so when it gets hard and any sane person WOULD quit, you can keep creating regardless. There are times when creating will hurt you and knock you down and convince you you're a hack and totally deplete you of all energy stores. And in those times, you need a reserve. You need to remember why you're doing this, what you're doing, and how to figure out the rest when your next story or chapter or character seems uniquely created to frustrate you beyond all reason.
Onward to breaking that mantra of mine down into topics we'll be talking about soon:
You need... That's right, this is your journey, no one else's, no matter what I or anyone else says.
You need to get busy... That's right, learning how you write is your work, not mine.
You need to get busy figuring out... That's right, I'm going to talk about learning to analyze how you create.
You need to get busy figuring out how to better create story... That's right, not THE BEST WAY or THE ONLY WAY or even MY way. You need to get better. Always. There is no end game, and you're never going to stop. Not if you're an artist and particularly an artist dreaming of making your art your career. Because the success or failure of your career will always depend on getting better and better and forever better at reaching your reader with the stories you create.
You need to get busy figuring out how to better create story that is accessible... That's right, no matter how good your story is in your imagination, in your mind, if it doesn't relate to and hook and ignite someone else's imagination, then you're writing for yourself. Which is fine. Unless you want to make a career out of this, in which case see above where I say you need to forever be getting better at reaching your reader with story.
You need to get busy figuring out how to better create story that is accessible to your intended audience... That's right, this is a business. You're creating a product. And in order to do anything with that product, you need to know 1) Who your audience is, and 2) How/why you intend to reach that audience with each and every story your write. Otherwise, once again, you're writing for yourself. Which is fine. Unless you wan to make a career out of this, in which case...well, you get the picture, right?
Simple?
Well, not so much.
And we haven't even touched on the writing craft part of what I eventually want to share.
The above (and my first series of topics) is all basic motivation, writer's life, writer's BUSINESS, writer's pyschology stuff. Because you need to tackle this part first, in my honest opinion, before you invest too much into anything else.
Are you a "warrior" in your calling to write, or are you a hobbiest? Either one is a perfectly fine you to be. But be clear which you are from the very start, and you'll be a much happier writer on a much clearer journey from day one.
It's those of us who never think this crazy business and dream through who find ourselves fizzling into a puddle of "I Give Up!" without the skills to dig ourselves out. Don't do that to yourself or the beautiful stories you have to tell.
Stick with me. We'll talk throught the mantra above. And if after that you find yourself still burning to create, I have some crazy successful writing craft techniques to share, honed from years of teaching to excited and motivated groups of writers across the country and internationally.
I can't wait to get started!
