When I tell people I am a writer I usually get one of two reactions:
The
first is a vague acknowledgement and possibly questions about my books.
The
second is always more interesting...
It happened to me this week, while meeting a business associate in a coffee shop.
When I told her, something sparkled in her eyes and she leaned across the table.
A furtive glance followed by a whispered confession, "I write."
It's surprising how many people tell me they've always wanted to write a book
and how so few people are willing to admit it, as if it's a dirty little
secret.
Tweet: We're in an age of digital freedom and it's easier than ever before to
publish a book.
A million books are published every year, but millions more languish unfinished in dusty desk drawers, at the bottom of hard drives or tucked away in the back of people's brains.
A million books are published every year, but millions more languish unfinished in dusty desk drawers, at the bottom of hard drives or tucked away in the back of people's brains.
I believe we all have a book inside us, we live our lives in a linear
narrative in which we are the central character. But many of those books will be
forever unwritten. Some of them should stay that way but some deserve to be
discovered.
Someone once asked me, "How? How do you write a book?"
My response was, "It's just one word after another."
Here are 8 tips if you've started that journey and tentatively put pen to paper:
1) Always have a notebook with you
Keep one in the car, carry it in your bag, use it on the bus, have it on your desk at work and capture any fleeting thoughts or ideas you have, there and then, before they fade.
I prefer writing in pencil - my writing is neater and it has an impermanent quality that feels like I'm not making any commitment, I'm just playing.
2) Write every day
Don't worry about editing, narrative or grammatical rules, just write something, anything and keep doing it.
3) Give yourself time to do it
I hereby give you permission to reserve an hour for yourself every day to sit down with a notebook and pen or in front of your screen and just write what you are thinking about.
4) Read. A lot. Every day
As I'm reading, I also note inspiring phrases, expressions and interesting words that appeal to me from other books in my note book and play around with them, expand on them or incorporate elements of them into my own writing.
5) Shake off the fear
Shake off the fear of success or failure. Just write. Don't be put off my what you think other people's expectations are.
Writing is about expressing yourself, not doing what you think people want from you.
6) Observe
Observe the people and environment around you. There are tiny stories everywhere. Be curious. Day dream. Be interested in small details. The world is your workspace.
7) Patience
It will take as long as it takes. Writing is a slow process. Having said that, it's easy to let things drift. Keep at it. Set yourself deadlines. Ignore the excuses and just write.
8) Enjoy it
If you don't enjoy it, it's an incredible waste of time.
The hardest part is starting and forming good writing habits. Once you do, creativity is like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets.
Someone once asked me, "How? How do you write a book?"
My response was, "It's just one word after another."
Here are 8 tips if you've started that journey and tentatively put pen to paper:
1) Always have a notebook with you
Keep one in the car, carry it in your bag, use it on the bus, have it on your desk at work and capture any fleeting thoughts or ideas you have, there and then, before they fade.
I prefer writing in pencil - my writing is neater and it has an impermanent quality that feels like I'm not making any commitment, I'm just playing.
2) Write every day
Don't worry about editing, narrative or grammatical rules, just write something, anything and keep doing it.
3) Give yourself time to do it
I hereby give you permission to reserve an hour for yourself every day to sit down with a notebook and pen or in front of your screen and just write what you are thinking about.
4) Read. A lot. Every day
As I'm reading, I also note inspiring phrases, expressions and interesting words that appeal to me from other books in my note book and play around with them, expand on them or incorporate elements of them into my own writing.
5) Shake off the fear
Shake off the fear of success or failure. Just write. Don't be put off my what you think other people's expectations are.
Writing is about expressing yourself, not doing what you think people want from you.
6) Observe
Observe the people and environment around you. There are tiny stories everywhere. Be curious. Day dream. Be interested in small details. The world is your workspace.
7) Patience
It will take as long as it takes. Writing is a slow process. Having said that, it's easy to let things drift. Keep at it. Set yourself deadlines. Ignore the excuses and just write.
8) Enjoy it
If you don't enjoy it, it's an incredible waste of time.
The hardest part is starting and forming good writing habits. Once you do, creativity is like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets.
Are you a hidden writer?
It's OK, your secret's safe with me...
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