I’m a Writer. Are You?

I’m a writer. I want to say aspiring writer, but of all the advice I’ve absorbed, the advice to never view yourself as an aspiring writer seems the most difficult to follow. It boils down to having the confidence to declare that it is something that you are and not just something you wish to be.

I am a technical writer by trade, which I guess makes me a writer by default, but I also write fiction, most of it not very good, although I do see improvement, thanks to the great advice gathered from books and on-line articles.

So, how do you know if you are getting sound advice? Much of it is subjective and depends on what you’re writing. As a tech writer reading How-To books on writing for children will provide me with little return on investment, however, reading articles and books from established technical writers would provide a great deal of insight.  I’m not saying that reading children’s books will teach me nothing about writing, but there is so much information out there and in today’s busy world, research has to be specific, to maximize efficiency.

It is important to know who is giving you the advice (go ahead and Google me, I’ll wait. Trust me; it’ll be a quick search). Look for names that you recognize and have a good track record. There are tons of well-known successful authors writing ‘Advice on Writing’ books. Stephen King is one you might recognize. Terry Brooks and Orsen Scott Card are two others that have enjoyed substantial success that have passed knowledge of the craft on to others.

The problem I find with How-To writing books is there are so many of them and their advice are so extensive; it is sometimes difficult to separate the useful stuff from author’s garnish. Not that I wouldn’t drink up every word King, Brooks or Card had to say on the matter. One way that may prove more efficient is to look for commonalities. If the majority of your sources are saying the same thing, chances are it is good advice to follow. For example, most sources I’ve read cited keep writing as a surefire way to improve prose. Now, if only one or two mentioned it, I might be skeptical, but since the advice was so overwhelmingly popular, I had to accept it.

So, keep writing, excellent advice, right? Well, easier said than done. To keep writing you need a little something called time. Many writers have busy schedules balancing a ‘nine-to-five’ job with home life and with small children it becomes even more challenging. What about writers who go to school? Even part time it is a significant time investment. Most work and school days are on average between ten to twelve hours, when you factor in commute and / or homework. Add between six to eight hours for sleeping and there goes two thirds of the day already.

Let me guess, you’re thinking that leaves six to eight hours of prime writing time, right? What about married life and kids? Most spouses would not appreciate being ignored while you spend the few precious hours of free time trying to be the next Tolkien or Jane Austen. And I’m sure little Jimmy would love to see you at his soccer or hockey game instead of stuck in a cramped office staring at, more often than not, a blank screen or notepad. And last, but certainly not least, all the other routine activities such as groceries, household chores, social interaction, etc. that make up the rest of the day. As you can see, that doesn’t leave much time for writing.

These may sound like some discouraging facts, and believe me the last thing I want to be is discouraging, but for many aspiring writers they are. I still haven’t found the right balance to manage my home and work commitments and still find the time to write. That’s why many will never make it past the aspiring part. Don’t let that be you.

The key is to maximize on your opportunities. Carry a pen and paper, or as is today’s norm, a laptop. Personally, I carry a netbook, with just a standard word processor. It’s smaller than a laptop, but powerful enough to handle the workload. If you get ten minutes where you have absolutely nothing to do (not bloody likely), write. Waiting for the doctor, they generally take forever, so write. Got a free period between classes, write. You get the idea and there are so many different things you can do to maximize your time. The most important thing is to write.

Some other suggestions for finding time to write is to write after the kids go to bed, write on the bus on the way to and from work or school. I’ll probably be crucified for this (especially when many writers will tell you to eliminate all distractions), but if you’re not distracted by the TV, you can write while your favorite program plays in the background. I stress, however, that if you’re spending more time watching the tube than banging away on your word processor or notepad, it’s time to turn it off and focus on the writing.

I’m an aspir—ahh—a writer that’s still waiting for the ‘published’ bus and you may ask what makes me qualified to give writing advice. Trust me, I’ve asked that question more than once. I'll leave it up to you to decide whether to take my advice or not, but for me the key is believing in your ability and having the confidence to tackle the hurdles.

Am I published to this point? No. Am I a very good writer? Probably not. Am I learning? Absolutely. I am learning because I write. I am getting better because I write.

And because I write, I’m a writer.