No. This is not an instruction manual on how to operate a device a two-year-old can use to mark up the hallway walls. I could’ve said how to operate your keyboard. But then I’d get a bunch of computer programmers interested. This is a SHOUT OUT to all wannabe writers. The ones who’ve locked away their inner writer into the dungeon of their heart. And thrown away the key.
There’s a scarcity mindset story filled with fear about “too many, fill in the blank.” It may arise from the stories we’ve heard about top performers. Individuals who earn a gazillion dollars doing what they love. I’m not sure why we are all so convinced to be successful in life we must become the best of the best.
I never hear stories about having to be the Best Mt. Everest climber or I’m not gonna bother. That’s a challenge beyond comprehension to me. Risking their life. Suffering. To get to the top of the same mountain. But people do it every year. No one ever says, “Well, if I can’t get to the top the fastest there’s no point in trying. EVERYONE has respect for the person who tried or made it to the top. We don’t ask, well how long did it take you? Oh yeah, THAT long? That’s way too slow, bro, I’m not giving you credit for that….
But some people who want to write for a living compare themselves to Stephen King or R.K. Rowling. They say, “Well, I’ll never be them so why bother?” It’s like a young person saying, “Well, there are already great doctors in the world, so why should I bother going to medical school?” Yes. We always need more Doctors. And we need all sorts of writers. The written word is not going away this century. There are new people born into this world every day. In ten years, another 80 million kids will be ready to read. Are they only going to read classics? Because all the new writers shrugged and pointed at the other writers?
Let’s take Stephen King. He threw his manuscript into the trash. His wife dug it out and made him finish it. Did he become the household name overnight? No. He built a career day by day, writing 2000 words per day.
J.K. Rowling was poor and almost homeless. She focused on her writing in a disciplined way. Billionaire now. Did she become a household name overnight? No. She built her career day by day.
Day by day.
I’m going to make this simple. Do you love writing? Yes? Then keep reading, I’m gonna get you to ACT.
Are you unsure if you love writing? I’m gonna teach you how to find out.
Do you hate the mechanics of writing but dream about royalty checks? Does it sound like an easy way to earn passive income? STOP reading. You don’t seek the role of writer—you’re looking for an escape from your problems. I get that, been there. This video helped me.
Okay, if you’re still reading, you’re in one of two groups. Let’s start together and ill branch you off in a second. There is an often repeated, false story that it’s easy to determine what you love. It’s NOT easy. It takes time and we’re all wired in a different way.
A unrealistic phenomenon exists in our society that I hope we can fix in the next couple of decades. Society expects High School students to figure out what they WANT to do for the rest of their lives. The only job they’ve held is folding tacos or babysitting. And their parents are spending a small fortune on their education. As Jordan Peterson likes to tease, these kids aren’t disciplined enough to make their bed every day. Yet they’re expected to invest 100k in what they commit to doing for the next 40 years?
Most of us cannot fill in all the anticipated details of what something may or may not be. We fail at what’s called Affective Forecasting. The easiest way to figure out whether you love or hate something is by doing it. Shortcuts aren’t available. Not until they create VR to download a copy of your personality into a simulator.
Until then, there’s no fast way to trade time for experiences. And doing something for a day, a week or even a month won’t cut it for most people because we are emotional creatures. We have bad days. There’s a learning curve. There are variables like we enjoy the work, but we want to murder our coworkers. There exist toxic environments. The pay. The city we live in. There are a hundred variables that cloud our perceptions about an activity. And some of us can do things to “please” others. We conclude it’s the activity that’s rewarding when it’s the inner reward system from recognition.
This is not discouraging. It’s the wiring of the human mind. There’s a small percentage of people who are an exception to any category. But for many of us, we need the experience to measure our interest level.
Back to the question: Do you love writing? It’s okay if you don’t know. The problem may arise from not having done it enough. Not at a level where you can determine your interest level. Please allow me to explain my personal journey. I’ll tease out the components that may help you determine this faster.
Flow. Anyone who has spent time writing has experienced FLOW. Loss of time. Escape into abstract imagination or other world feeling. A creative idea strikes you and you’re compelled to communicate your idea to writing. An hour or two or even longer slips by, and when you blink back to reality the timelessness peace calms your soul. This is a wonderful experience that most humans enjoy, but it isn’t reserved for writing.
There exist many fields and ways to experience FLOW. If flow is a new concept, you may want to pay attention to this phenomenon. If this is your number one happiness generator, you may have a variety of avenues to achieve this. Writing may have been your first encounter, so you assume only writing will get you there.
But I guarantee you the human mind is an amazing phenomenon.
Don’t limit yourself. Art, music, anything creative, and mastery of the physical body through sports. Or crafting anything with your hands…. the list is endless. But, as I’ve already stated, it takes time. You must do a new activity enough times to start a path toward mastery. This will provide accurate feedback on your interest level.
Storytelling. Humans are natural storytellers. Most people tell interesting, engaging stories about their life and experiences. We love hanging with our friends and retelling our lives in short and long stories.
We also think in metaphor. But there’s a lack of training. People haven’t learned how to translate that into the written word or public speeches. I have lots of friends who are hilarious or tell funny stories. But if you put them on a stage, fear paralyzes their natural ability. I’ve been public speaking in front of large audiences since I was ten years old, so I’ve developed my technique. The point is, you may think you love writing, when, it’s the storytelling you love. In today’s world, there exist hundreds if not more ways to tell a story.
I fell in love with creating memes. When that became a cultural norm, I got hooked. I always enjoyed comic strips but translating the world into visual images didn’t fulfill me. I love humor. Then memes came along. Now, I could match my ability to create humor with someone else’s visual representation. I fell in love. This modern concept of the “meme” didn’t exist when I was eighteen. At least not at the level of popularity with Instagram and Smart phones. I could never have foreseen it, but here I am. A meme addict.
So, pay attention to the part of storytelling you love. Writing may be your thing. Or there may be something you haven’t experienced yet that segues from writing. It may still exist within the realm of storytelling.
Fixed Mindset. Another barrier I had to overcome was perfectionism. This unrealistic limiting belief that you are either a good writer or a bad one. This black and white thinking about who writers are. This idea that we are “born” to do something. I’m not sure where this idea originated, but it’s not true. The novel in its modern form didn’t come into existence until the 17th century. No one says, “Oh man, you were born to be a Blog Writer.” There’s a myth that a genetic component predisposes one for a modern occupation. The story works great for movies, but it’s misleading and untrue.
Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers debunks such myths surrounding success. One of my favorite takeaways is to find what you love and invest the time to master it. Couple that with intention and a quality feedback loop. Success is no longer this mysterious force bestowed on a select few.
When you write, the words will not be perfect. Everything you write won’t be amazing. The fixed mindset doesn’t allow room for mistakes. But, if you adopt a growth mindset, then you won’t waste time judging your writing output. You won’t compare your first draft to a best-selling author’s final draft. The best-selling author paid many people to help them get their book completed. And they’ve been writing for MANY years.
You are starting out. You will make many mistakes and that’s how you learn. I remember years ago one of my friends criticizing me for using too many adjectives. At the time, I lacked the emotional health to accept the accurate feedback. It hurt my feelings. I judged myself as an unworthy writer.
Now, I look back with only the feeling of gratitude. We were at different stages of writing, and she was more advanced. Providing free advice on how to improve. Having a growth mindset, I recognize I have so much more to learn.
Okay. So, I’m guessing you’re convinced that you love writing, or think you might love it. What’s next?
Pick up your pen! Er, I mean open your laptop. A professional writer will have a regular routine. The same routine as someone who goes to school or work every day. To know if you want to be a writer you must behave like one. That means you need to create a routine. And unfortunately, setting aside five minutes a day is not enough. My suggestion is 1 to 2 hours a day. If you need help with time management here’s a great book: Eat that Frog.
You don’t have to do this for an entire year to get an accurate taste. Can you commit to one month? NaNoWriMo is brilliant for kick starting procrastinating writers. Commit to that. Do it for one month. Write 1-2 hours a day, five days a week, and by the end of the month you may have learned your level of interest.
There’s no failing here. It’s a growth mindset. I’m figuring you’ll walk away feeling one of three ways, with varying shades. 1. You hated it. Okay, you don’t love writing itself, but there’s something adjacent you’re leaning towards. 2. Indifferent. Okay. Do you want to burn yourself out doing something halfhearted? Life is so much more engaging when you pursue what you love. 3. You loved it! You wish you could get paid to do that.
If you figured out you loved writing, then stick around. I’ll help you unblock your emotional obstacles to free up your heart. Help you join the ranks of Writers across the world. Congrats! It won’t be easy. Like everything in life, it will be hard work. But, you love writing and are passionate—the journey will be worth it.
Time to pick up your pen!
