All throughout my life I have written random things (i.e. letters, articles, journal entries, etc.), mainly to release my minds tension, yet never truly pursued such endeavors to the fullest extent I would have liked to. Everyone who has read what I have composed inevitably looks up at me with a revelation in their eyes and says, “You should be a writer.”

I’ve never published anything, never written a book, never taken a writing class, never done any number of things that one might expect a person to use as a stepping-stone into the life of a writer. But the splinter of ‘what if’ remains deeply planted and I can’t help but wonder what I could write if I gave myself a chance.

So I toss this question into your court knowing that you have been there, done that, and have the T-shirt hanging in your closet.

I don’t really know what to do about this constant (and growing) desire to write so I don’t have a specific question to ask except, what do I do?
Where should I start out to cut my teeth (if you will) in the writing field? (I don’t necessarily want to write for money, although that would be nice, but rather to influence other people.)
Should I throw myself into writing a two thousand-page novel, or start out writing half a page short stories?
Should I even write fiction? Since I am unaware of what is out there it is hard to ask the directions on how to get there.

In essence, my dilemma is that I want to write but I’m trying to eat the whole elephant at once. Can you give me an idea on ways to break it up and just write without burdening myself into not writing at all? Or at least point me in the right direction where I might find a path to knowledge (such as a book on how, what, where, when, or who to write.)

I believe I have a skill; I want to use it, but have no idea where to begin. My thanks would be enormous if you could enlighten me even just a tiny bit.

-Tieko

 

I think I really became a writer, or at least started down the path in earnest, when I wrote my first novel. It took me two years to finish and was complete crap. Thankfully, I had a friend who was willing to tell me it was crap. And it was only after working very hard at telling a large story and failing so utterly that I was finally able to begin to understand the boundaries of my ignorance.

So, I would say write a novel. Put your heart in soul into it, make it the vessel of every cool idea you've ever had. Don't show a word of it to any body until you get past the finish line. Then get it critiqued. Learn from your mistakes. Write another novel. Get it critiqued. Learn from your mistakes. Write another novel, or maybe a few dozen short stories. Just keep writing.

Writing is something like running a marathon. You run and you run and you run... and then you learned you took a wrong turn, and have to run all the way back to the starting point and start again. And you'll run and run, and trip, and break things, and lose skin and teeth. Keep running. This is an endurance contest, and the only way to lose is to give up.

Oh, one difference between writing and a marathon. Marathons have a finish line.

--James Maxey
 

Write whatever you want to write, write a lot, and do the same with reading.

If you have an idea for a novel, then start writing it. If you start running into a block (as they say) write something else, whatever you want. This is, of course, terrible advice for the professional, but since you are still trying to figure out what you want to write, it is essential that you write anything and everything it occurs to you to write.

James deserves respect for being a fairly accomplished novelist, and I do recommend that you at least think of writing longer works. But much of the influential writing of our day is in shorter works (not usually short stories, but that isn't the only kind of short writing). If you want to write essays, or polemics, or comedic pieces, or poetry, then do it. If you find yourself writing a lot of one sort of thing, you're good at it and you like it, then don't be discouraged that it isn't another sort of thing.
 

1. The only real difference between a wannabe writer and a writer is the decision to be a writer. I get the sense that you want to be a writer, but I don't get the sense that you've said to yourself, "Come hell or highwater, I'm going to be a writer." (Nota bene: a writer doesn't have to make a living by writer; a writer is a person who writes.)

2. Corollary to this decision is deciding on your daily output. I don't know of a writer who doesn't write every day -- who doesn't have a daily routine. For example, Fredrick Pohl wrote four pages a day every day. Flannery O'Connor sat at her writing desk for three hours a day but didn't worry about her output; sometimes she would sit there thinking about what to write. This is a highly personal decision, and you have to discern what works best for you.

In sum, my two bits of advice are: (1) finally decide to be a writer, and (2) set a daily writing goal and stick to it.

For any other questions you might have, I refer you back to the posts of James and Survivor.

[This message has been edited by Balthasar (edited September 26, 2003).]
 

I wrote my first poem when I was in the second grade. I realized I wanted to be a writer when I wrote my second poem -- 5th grade this time. I was 9 years old. But I spent 6 years after college beating myself up because I wanted to write and couldn't. Or didn't. Or the muse wouldn't come. Or whatever.

Writing had this huge stigma attached to it in my family. It was something you did "as a hobby" (like so many other things I loved to do). So I majored in Chemistry and then went to work in the book business. Words were my love, and I wasn't going to let them get away.

In January of this year, I wrote a script for a TV pilot. It was just something I had always wanted to do because I hadn't before, and my sister and I had this great idea. Nothing happened with it, of course (or at least nothing yet), but I had something to share with my friends to prove I was a writer instead of just shooting off at the mouth.

In February, one of my friends got a gig doing movie reviews in a local paper. He asked me if I wanted to write book reviews. No pay, no prestige other than seeing my name in print about 500 words, but I had a deadline of every two weeks, and it forced me to do SOMETHING, however small.

I sent the book reviews to friends, and one of them got me a job doing freelance proofreading, editing & reviewing for print-on-demand books. (I wonder what the authors would say if they knew they were being hacked to pieces by a Chem major.)

I can see a difference in my writing style. My reviews are now more like conversations with the reader and less like book reports. Granted, I still have to "sit the butt down" and write a novel (with wonderful and accomplished friends like James who I'm sure would love to have a hand in tying me to that chair), but I am MUCH happier with myself. Writing is my Prozac, my Zen and my cocaine, and all of it keeps me sane.

If you're anything like me (which I can see a bit, because this is obviously plaguing you), you're only hurting yourself if you're not writing. Yes, it has to be more than emails (and discussion board posts that are WAY too long - geez, Alethea, talk much?). Give yourself a goal, big or small, but MAKE yourself meet that goal.

If you love it, do it. What do they say? "Do what you love, and the money will follow." It all snowballs. But it's more than money. It's happiness, popularity, great conversations, a love of life and -- most of all -- peace with yourself.

Agatha Christie's philosophy was: "The secret of getting ahead is getting started."

GO GET STARTED.

So that's a dollar's worth for my 2-cents -- keep the change.

Alethea
 

You say you believe you have a skill. I say I agree. In what little you wrote in your message, several things jumped out at me. Among them, your coupling of phrases (the creature swims...siren’s call...), the depth of emotion you feel for this, and also what I term “little surprises” at the end of a sentence (...{you} have the T-shirt hanging in your closet – I really liked that; it gave an added spark to the preceding words).

You asked where you should begin, so I peeked at the profile link of your post and see that you like rock climbing and reading among other things, and that you work in healthcare and are a student and a husband (yeesh, you’re busy, yes?). Most likely you’ll enjoy writing that which you most enjoy reading.

But should you start with long works, or short? Fiction, or non-fiction? Well...you’ll know better once you start, I think. Given your interest in rock climbing, and from what you’ve posted above, I could imagine you writing a magazine piece about scaling a mountain. Not just a technical, how-to article, though you could certainly consider that, depending on your knowledge of the subject and how much research you want – or would need – to do in order to create such a piece. Rather, I’m thinking an article that brings into play all the sights, sounds, feelings, etc. of rock climbing would work for you. Again, from what I read in your post, your writing evokes feeling, so if I were you I’d consider an arena where I could bring that talent into play.

And lastly, I just wanted to touch on one other thing (though it might generate some controversy) and that is a difference for a male writer and a female writer in terms of having a wide berth in pursuing writing as a profession. I just want to state I think it’s more difficult for a man to pursue his passion for writing than it is for a woman (and I’m thinking of men who are the “breadwinner” and have a wife and/or family to help support). I have many male writer friends who can’t give the time to their writing that they wish they could. And yes, I have many female writer friends who can’t get that time either. But, overall, there do come times in a woman’s life when she can step out of the regular workforce – such as after having a baby – and can (usually) pursue personal interests at the same time she’s taking care of the family. A man doesn’t normally get that chance. (If not for my husband bringing home a regular paycheck and keeping the family fed and insured, I can honestly say I wouldn’t have had the luxury to pursue writing to the depths that I have. And for one particular male writer friend, I wish he didn’t have so much responsibility in his day job, mouths to feed and a huge mortgage to meet every month because, gosh, he’s a great writer and with a little more free time he’d be a published writer, I’m sure!)

Anyway, I’m adding this thought because of what I read in your profile. Sounds like you have a lot on your plate. So, if indeed you do, you’ll want to take the time to really *think* about what it is you want to create, then honestly admit to yourself how much time and creative energy you’re willing/able to invest in crafting it. And then, of course, you have to make a plan and stick to it. Block out X number of hours during the week and on weekends, and make it very clear to everyone in your orbit that you are unavailable. (That’s a biggie. If you told folks you’re scheduled to perform brain surgery at a certain time, they’d leave you the heck alone. If you tell them you’re heading to your office to write at that time, they’ll wonder why you can’t write later after you’ve done whatever it is they think you should be doing with them.)

You say you want to influence people with your writing. You already influenced me – enough that I’m responding to something you’ve written.

How far do you want this influence to reach? Only you can answer that.

If you want to write to be published, check out the latest Writer’s Market, read the market updates in writer magazines...and no doubt the “creature” yearning to get out will tell you what market to pursue.

Following that, like the advice from those above, you must just do it. Good luck.

Grab a pen. Buy a journal, notebook, legal pad, or whatever...and promise yourself you'll write until it's full. Then buy another journal, notebook, legal pad or whatever, and do it all over again. IT doesn't matter what you fill them up with, just get in the habit of writing frequently and in great volumes.

Second, you may not care whether you get paid or not, but I tell you...once it happens, you won't settle for anything else. There are any number of places out there that need writers-- I'm talking full-time jobs with salary and benefits.

Don't let all the talk of the faltering economy fool you. You sound driven to write by something deep inside, and you obviously have a better than average command of words.

If you have the passion and you have the skill, all that remains is to take the chance. I did it, and I kick myself daily for not having done it sooner.

Best of luck,
Danny
 

I'm reading a book by Dorothea Brande. In the early part, she suggests two writing exercises. First, get up 1/2 hour earlier every day and, without talking or doing anything, grab your notebook (or whatever) and write. Like freewriting. Do a little more every day, pushing your boundary, your limits. Don't read it - that comes later, becoming material for writing. Second, make an appointment or date with yourself to write. Maybe at 4pm you don't usually have anything scheduled. So 4pm-4:15pm is your time to write. It doesn't matter what is going on, from whom you must excuse yourself, you have made a promise to write at that time and write you must. She suggests if you can't do these two things to give up because you don't really have the discipline, control, whatever (I forget what she called it) to be a writer.

You obviously put a lot of thought into your post. You are showcasing your potential right there. I bet you liked writing it! What else would you LIKE to write?

As for what to write - I liked the advice to write what you like to read! The problem - I prefer books to short stories, but the thought of writing a book is just too huge to wrap my mind around, now, so I'm trying to write short stories. Some say write what you know, some say write what you don't know - guess it is up to you. I plan to do both.

The best advice I read on becoming a writer was to just start writing, and posting to bbs did not count! Nor does e-mail. Now go, do!
 

-- gotta stop that.
 

The creature has not only been let loose, but now roams freely throughout my life like a starved lion who suddenly finds itself in the middle of a antelope herd. On the flip side, this has created a new problem in that I have to use a new brain muscle to curb such flurries of writing so that it does not dominate my life. (Although one day, I hope that will be the case.)

For now, I write every day. This is due largely in part by your tips and tricks for getting started. I continue to read the old threads about writing and am constantly finding new and better ways to accomplish my calling in life. Again, thank you so much for the wisdom you so graciously poured out. This is a place I will come time and time again for new insights into writing.

-Tieko