Thinking Like a Real Writer
Many people define a "real writer" as one who's published.
I've always had trouble with this definition because, as far as I'm concerned, one has to become a real writer before publishing's even on the radar.
A real writer thrives, not from raw talent alone, or a list of publishing credits, but from an inner-directed mindset.
As a real writer you: Refrain From Self-Sabotaging Thoughts Such as: My novel's still unpublished.
I should be doing something more productive like cleaning the kitchen or doing the laundry.
My story sucks.
It should be easier than this.
I'll never write like him/her.
I'm just not that talented.
Such thoughts are a form of self-censure.
Although we are not our thoughts, we believe them as fact.
And what we believe we manifest.
So next time, instead of describing yourself as an unpublished writer, instead of regarding yourself unworthy even to call yourself a writer, present yourself straight up.
Say, "I'm a writer.
" Or, "I'm writing my memoir.
" Our thoughts and what we manifest are entirely our choice.
Focus On What Your Work Needs Your work needs for you to dive in deeper, to listen to what your story is telling you about what it wants to become.
It needs for you to explore not only what you're writing about, but why.
Real writers don't wallow in self doubt.
They don't spend time hoping everyone will love their story.
They don't agonize over what their mother might think.
They don't even worry about whether or not they'll publish.
They're too busy writing.
Don't Let the Invisible Hand of the Market Shape Your Work Sometimes writers will craft a story with a certain publication or audience in mind, restricting it to a certain word count or topic.
Or they'll write a memoir because they believe it will sell better than a work of fiction.
Here's the thing: whenever we write to fulfill others' expectations, we create our most mediocre work.
Remember why you write in the first place - to discover what you didn't know you knew --about life, about others, about yourself and your place in the world.
Follow your curiosity and obsessions, the memories and life mysteries that refuse to let you go.
Trust in the universality of those concerns.
Your audience will find you.
Embrace Failure Your story, novel of memoir might not be its best version of itself in its current stage of development.
That's okay.
Keep at it.
You'll get there.
The results you have right now are in no way a reflection of your potential, which is boundless.
Even if you've written an unsuccessful story or novel, learn from it.
Here's your chance to grow.
As Samuel Beckett said, "Try again.
Fail again.
Fail better.
" Know That Writing is Rewriting Raymond Carver wrote as many as twenty or thirty drafts of a story before he considered it done.
F.
Scott Fitzgerald wrote several versions of The Great Gatsby before it became a masterpiece.
A great piece of fiction or non-fiction is layered and complex.
There's a profusion of things to concern yourself with and the mind can only focus on so many of those concerns at any given time.
Rewriting allows you to deepen, refine and crystallize your raw material.
And when you know how to navigate it - a topic I'll be addressing later - rewriting is immensely gratifying.
And a helluva lot of fun.
Love the Journey, Not Just the Destination If your primary gaze is on the endgame, be it publication, adoration, fame, or commercial success, you not only deprive yourself of the exquisite pleasures of writing, you shortchange the necessary stages you need to grow.
There's nothing wrong with wanting to publish or to get paid for your work.
But if you live for the day-to-day, moment-to-moment act of writing itself, rather than just those apexes along the way, your work and your relationship to your work will be all the richer, all the more rewarding.
You're also more likely to get published.
Nurture Your Genius There's a misconception that, in order to be brilliant at something, you need to be blessed with innate remarkable talent.
Not so, according to Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers: The Story of Success.
Gladwell, who studied the most successful musicians, composers, artists and athletes in history, reports that the difference between success and non-success, between genius and mediocrity is 10,000 hours.
That's right.
Anyone from Jimi Hendrix to Bill Gates to Hemingway who has succeeded has done so on the back of at least 10,000 hours.
Talent only takes you so far.
I think it's irrelevant in terms of your work's potential.
In order to master your craft, to write the best book you possibly can, you need to log in an enormous amount of time and practice.
You don't get to cut a deal.
Brilliance isn't something you're born with, it's cultivated.
I've always had trouble with this definition because, as far as I'm concerned, one has to become a real writer before publishing's even on the radar.
A real writer thrives, not from raw talent alone, or a list of publishing credits, but from an inner-directed mindset.
As a real writer you: Refrain From Self-Sabotaging Thoughts Such as: My novel's still unpublished.
I should be doing something more productive like cleaning the kitchen or doing the laundry.
My story sucks.
It should be easier than this.
I'll never write like him/her.
I'm just not that talented.
Such thoughts are a form of self-censure.
Although we are not our thoughts, we believe them as fact.
And what we believe we manifest.
So next time, instead of describing yourself as an unpublished writer, instead of regarding yourself unworthy even to call yourself a writer, present yourself straight up.
Say, "I'm a writer.
" Or, "I'm writing my memoir.
" Our thoughts and what we manifest are entirely our choice.
Focus On What Your Work Needs Your work needs for you to dive in deeper, to listen to what your story is telling you about what it wants to become.
It needs for you to explore not only what you're writing about, but why.
Real writers don't wallow in self doubt.
They don't spend time hoping everyone will love their story.
They don't agonize over what their mother might think.
They don't even worry about whether or not they'll publish.
They're too busy writing.
Don't Let the Invisible Hand of the Market Shape Your Work Sometimes writers will craft a story with a certain publication or audience in mind, restricting it to a certain word count or topic.
Or they'll write a memoir because they believe it will sell better than a work of fiction.
Here's the thing: whenever we write to fulfill others' expectations, we create our most mediocre work.
Remember why you write in the first place - to discover what you didn't know you knew --about life, about others, about yourself and your place in the world.
Follow your curiosity and obsessions, the memories and life mysteries that refuse to let you go.
Trust in the universality of those concerns.
Your audience will find you.
Embrace Failure Your story, novel of memoir might not be its best version of itself in its current stage of development.
That's okay.
Keep at it.
You'll get there.
The results you have right now are in no way a reflection of your potential, which is boundless.
Even if you've written an unsuccessful story or novel, learn from it.
Here's your chance to grow.
As Samuel Beckett said, "Try again.
Fail again.
Fail better.
" Know That Writing is Rewriting Raymond Carver wrote as many as twenty or thirty drafts of a story before he considered it done.
F.
Scott Fitzgerald wrote several versions of The Great Gatsby before it became a masterpiece.
A great piece of fiction or non-fiction is layered and complex.
There's a profusion of things to concern yourself with and the mind can only focus on so many of those concerns at any given time.
Rewriting allows you to deepen, refine and crystallize your raw material.
And when you know how to navigate it - a topic I'll be addressing later - rewriting is immensely gratifying.
And a helluva lot of fun.
Love the Journey, Not Just the Destination If your primary gaze is on the endgame, be it publication, adoration, fame, or commercial success, you not only deprive yourself of the exquisite pleasures of writing, you shortchange the necessary stages you need to grow.
There's nothing wrong with wanting to publish or to get paid for your work.
But if you live for the day-to-day, moment-to-moment act of writing itself, rather than just those apexes along the way, your work and your relationship to your work will be all the richer, all the more rewarding.
You're also more likely to get published.
Nurture Your Genius There's a misconception that, in order to be brilliant at something, you need to be blessed with innate remarkable talent.
Not so, according to Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers: The Story of Success.
Gladwell, who studied the most successful musicians, composers, artists and athletes in history, reports that the difference between success and non-success, between genius and mediocrity is 10,000 hours.
That's right.
Anyone from Jimi Hendrix to Bill Gates to Hemingway who has succeeded has done so on the back of at least 10,000 hours.
Talent only takes you so far.
I think it's irrelevant in terms of your work's potential.
In order to master your craft, to write the best book you possibly can, you need to log in an enormous amount of time and practice.
You don't get to cut a deal.
Brilliance isn't something you're born with, it's cultivated.
