Writers, our competition is growing. We see it every day and it’s unnerving. Some of us keep on, knowing we’re probably not going to get far but this is what we do. Others are ready to quit. Without readers, why bother?
That’s our goal: to draw readers in. As writers who publish, we’ve moved beyond pleasing ourselves, that thing we did when we were first doodling and then found ourselves writing sentences and then paragraphs and then forming them into beginnings and middles and endings until we saw some potential there and dared to think we might have something going.
The next step is to think about readers. Who would read this? Anybody? Friends? Family? Would we dare show them? And once we dare, we wonder who else might want to read what we’ve written.
I remember my first swing into public writing, a small neighborhood column in our local weekly, and how terrified I was that my friends and neighbors would see me and judge me for the words I’d come up with. Those early words ranged from boring to awful, but that little column, my first newspaper “job”, gave me a taste for sharing my words in public long before I dared to call myself a writer—years before—and it never left me. I knew then that writing was my calling. I just didn’t know how to do it yet. I was a young mom with three kids and no extra time or money, so I had to figure out how to learn on my own. Turns out there were other writers out there who were generous enough to help me when they didn’t have to, and I was lucky enough to find them. I didn’t have to do it on my own. I found help.
Every writer I know has found help along the way, and most of it comes from other writers, not from classes or programs or books. We know that pain when it all goes wrong. We’ve felt it to our core. But if we’re still writers it means we’ve gone on. We haven’t overcome it; we’ve just gone on.
We are a unique bunch. We’re out there doing the thing we love, and sometimes, maybe even often, we get it right. But none of us, not even the best of us, can avoid being anxious. It goes with the job. If our words fail us, we have nothing else. If we hit that sweet spot who’s to say we’ll ever do it again? We can get better and still do worse on our off days. There are no guarantees that one win will lead to another.
That’s what draws us together, that anxiety and those wins. And Writer Everlasting is one of those places where we’re free to do that. Here at WE I want us to be kind to each other, but not so kind that we make it look easy. And not so hard that we make it seem out of reach. This is a place for writers who see this as something more than a hobby, who understand that it’s work, but can still enjoy the process.
We would never keep at it if we didn’t enjoy it, so a big part of my emphasis here is in cheerleading. Good writing is hard. It’s manual practice as well as brainpower. All of our senses line up to do the job while our imagination works to make it something special. And sometimes it even happens.
I understand that the competition is fierce and sometimes seems unbeatable, but we don’t have to struggle through it alone. I want everyone who comes here to feel comfortable. I want you to suspend your anxiety and revel in the choices you’ve made to become the writer you are now. Whatever you’ve done to get here is worth it. Whatever mistakes you’ve made gives you credibility. You’ve done the work. You’ve earned those badges. Be proud. Out loud.
I see that some of you are new to writing and somehow you’ve found us here, maybe because of the name. I don’t want you to feel diminished or left out or scared. I want you to join in, I want you to ask questions, I want you to tell your stories.
We all remember what it was like to be that new kid, restless and unsure, feeling embarrassed by our lack of experience, sitting quietly in the back row hoping to be unnoticed, afraid to show our ignorance by asking the obvious newbie questions but dying to know the secrets. How did you all do it? How long did it take? What is the secret sauce? What am I missing?
I’m not asking you to be brave here. This is the last place you need to feel brave. We’ve all been there, we’ve all felt enough pain to remember, and we’re here for you. All we ask is that you work at it long enough to give it a chance before you quit.
Yes, quit. Here’s something else to consider: writing isn’t for everybody. If at some point you realize it’s more misery than joy, if you have no patience to wait, if you see that competition and it’s too much, you’ll need to be honest and look to something else for fulfillment. The word ‘writer’ holds its own magic. It has been known to hold a victim in place long after the thrill is gone, simply because the person in question doesn’t want to give up claiming that title.
There’s something heady and thrilling about calling yourself a writer. It’s a word we whisper before we say it out loud, simply because it holds so much energy, so much promise, so much potential for magic. We have to try it on. We have to grow into it. We have to find our fit. And once we accept that this is it, writing feels more like responsibility than a job. It’s BIG.
Nobody ever talks about this, but it’s okay to try writing on for size and find it doesn’t fit. There’s no shame in that. Not every career fits. If it makes you miserable more than it gives you joy, it’s time to reconsider. Are you a writer? Or are you that person who thinks it would be cool to be a writer? Have you had doubts or have you always known? Is it a responsibility or is it just something you do? The Comment Section is my front porch. It’s always open and we’re at ease there. So how about it? Can we talk?
I call this Writer Everlasting because I’m here for the long haul, but in order to be seen and heard I need subscribers, both free and paid. You can help by sharing this, by poking that little heart button, or you can support my work by becoming a paid subscriber ($5/month or $50/year). If you don’t want to commit to that kind of relationship, you can tip any amount at any time at Ko-Fi or at PayPal. Thank you!
If you would prefer to remain on the free list, you’re always welcome and you’re included in everything. Please share any of my pieces with those who might want to join our community. It all helps.
Take advantage of the July sale for my guidance services. Click the button below.
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.