1 piece of advice for any struggling writer
A writer emailed me with a request,
“Hello, I’m an aspiring writer and I was wondering if you have a piece of writing advice for getting through rough patches. ”
I’m still not sure if I gave her anything useful, but I wanted to share my response here, in case anyone else needs the reminder. I know I do.
My best advice would be to remember why you started writing in the first place. Remember that it wasn’t always a job, but just something you loved to do because you could. It wasn’t always a job, something strenuous, or tiring. It was, at one time, something you just loved to do. You can’t forget that, even when it does feel very much like a job, and maybe it really is a job. Writing was, and will always be, an extension of yourself. Enjoy it for what it is, not for what will come out of it (that’s just a bonus).
Perhaps it’s not event that writing has become a chore or that you are fed up with it. Perhaps you’ve tried and tried and tried again, but you aren’t seeing the results you hoped for. Maybe you are just tired of rejections. Again, remember why you started writing. It wasn’t because you were going to make millions. It wasn’t because you were going to get famous from it. It was because you had a story you wanted to tell, so you told it the best way you knew how, by writing it down. Keep writing. Share stories because your stories are worth sharing. Remember why you started writing, and keep doing it.
If you have requests, questions, concerns, or just need to talk to someone. You can always email me through my About and Contact page. I’m always up to talk shop or just to cheer you on.
Thanks for reading.
Lissy