You Know You're a Writer When . . .
By Linda Wilson
You have a desire to express yourself. It won't go away. Pieces come out
in your everyday life. At work. At home. With the people you know and
love. With acquaintances and strangers, too. You might trek to the
farthest reaches of the earth and sea. Start your own business, a new
hobby; begin an exercise program, pick up a musical instrument. Go into
politics or find volunteer opportunities. Yet you still want to do more.
So, you sit down and write. You become a writer.
As busy as you are with your life, have you ever wondered where this
desire to write comes from? You may be a physician/writer, a
teacher/writer or a writer/writer. But deep down you know: Writing is
your heart and you never want to stop.
The reasons one becomes a writer are as varied as life itself. Some of
them are collected here, for you to ponder and perhaps to remind you
of your own beginning, when you first noticed that pulse that beat so
strong inside that it spilled onto the page and hasn't stopped. It's
only grown. And you've grown, too.
You know you're a writer when you . . .
. . . Enjoy looking up words in the dictionary and thesaurus.
- Speaking from personal experience, I like nothing better than to
look up words. I am now in the market for an electronic
dictionary/thesaurus. Any recommendations left as a comment would be
appreciated.
. . . Are willing to forgo a social life, belonging to clubs, playing bridge, etc.
- Years ago, I read an article where best-selling author Barbara Taylor Bradford (A Woman of Substance,
and twenty-nine other books), was quoted as saying that you must choose
between having a busy social life or becoming a serious author. In a
recent article where Bradford offered writing tips she wrote: "First and
foremost, you need to be serious about your desire to become a
published author. It takes an extraordinary amount of time, effort and
dedication to hone your skills and produce a work worthy of publication.
But like anything else, if you possess the talent and the
determination, you will likely succeed."
. . . Love the process without concerning yourself with the end result.
Your mind is always working on an idea or problem for an article or
story.
- Newbery medalist and well-loved children's author Betsy Byars
described one of the best things about our craft in the reference book, Something About the Author, " . . . creativity. I can't define it, but I have found from experience that the more you use it, the better it works."
To read the rest of this article, go to:
http://www.writersonthemove.com/2014/04/you-know-youre-writer-when.html
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