I’ve been often asked, “How did you get started in writing?” After stumbling over several fascinating possibilities which aren’t true, I always came back to the same answer: I just began writing.
This is a hard answer for some to swallow, but it’s the truth. I didn’t become a writer by watching television, cruising the mall or paddling a canoe on the harbour. I became a writer by sitting on a chair and writing.
Sitting and writing is one of the hardest parts of writing.
The more I wrote, the easier it was to write. It was just like hockey; the more I played, the better I became and the more chances I took with the puck. When I felt comfortable with my writing, I wanted to share it.
Sharing is the other hardest part of writing.
This is where writers – good and bad – freeze, thinking they’d rather cross the Atlantic in a leaky boat than submit a piece of writing for an editor to judge if it’s good enough to print.
Thankfully, these two elements of writing become easier after time. Once one page is filled, it’s easier to fill another and another. Once you allow one editor to read your material, you become eager to submit to others.
Don’t believe me? Take a chance and write something – anything: an article for the newspaper, a short story for a magazine or a book for the fiction or nonfiction market. Be fearless and make that keyboard sing.
Great post!
Funnily, my answer to that question is the exact opposite, which is actually almost the same: “I never stopped.”
What I mean is that I have been having stories and ideas in my head for as long as I can remember, and I think most children do that. But I never stopped, and eventually I grew too old to “play” the ideas with dolls or action figures and started writing them instead.
I know what you mean. My stories were acted out by chest pieces made into people with clay, cut-out paper dolls and dinkies in the dirt. When I realised I had the ability to record these stories, I put them down on paper. I think that was grade one or two.
I’ve never had a problem with planting my butt to write for hours; I’m addicted. Once I decided to submit, I did. It was scary at first, but I did it anyway.
I know these are daunting tasks for others who want to write but can’t seem to time/energy/courage to do so.
Thank you for the comments.
That sounds like around the time when I started putting things on paper too.
And you are welcome. – I’m looking forward to reading more of your blog.