I left my job to become a writer. I have my hands in a lot of things, and I’m multi-passionate, but when I think about purpose and fulfillment and “what I want to be when I grow up”, it’s always writing. Nothing lights me up or makes me feel or satisfied quite like writing. Or, shall I say, quite like having written. Most writers don’t exactly love the writing process, just like most runners don’t exactly love the running process. But, man, that feeling afterward? It really is a high.
I’ve been (officially) doing this writing thing for about a year and a half now, and I’ve finally figured out the secret to becoming a real writer. It’s not getting published. It’s not your first book deal. It’s not perfect grammar. It’s not having a blog, or a fan base, or even a reader. You know what makes someone a Writer with a capital W? You want to know what the #1 secret is to becoming a Real Writer?
Writing.
Seriously! To be a writer, you have to write. Write every day. Write for 5 minutes or an hour. Write 100 words or 5000 words. Write in the morning or at night. Write at a desk or in your recliner. Write however it makes sense to you.
I’m relaying this information because I’ve become so “in my head” about writing lately that I haven’t been writing. Like, at all. I keep getting sucked back into the mindset that writing is only worth doing if it’s a lengthy essay, full of humor and profound takeaways. It’s only worth doing if a lot of people are going to read it or if it’s something that will be going in my book. This does not make me a writer. It makes me a procrastinator. It also makes me feel discouraged and defeated and sad.
So here’s my commitment in black and white: I’ll write every single day. I’ll write a blog, even if it’s only a paragraph long. I’ll write more of my book, even if it’s only 100 words. I’ll write. Even if it sucks, even if no other eyes see it but my own, even if I delete it immediately after. I’ll write. It doesn’t have to be lengthy or funny or profound or insightful. No expectations. Just writing.
Real writers write. So I’ll write. Let’s get to work.
