As a writing coach and a writer, I think I’ve heard every reason in the world for not writing right now.
Each person who wants to be a writer but isn’t writing yet has his own unique rationale for not getting any work done.
But, the thing is, if a person wants to be a writer he must write.
It’s just that simple and there’s no way around it.
Do You Want to Be a Writer?
If you say you want to be a writer, yet you aren’t writing yet, here are 10 reasons to get started right now rather than wait for later (when you have more time, when your kids are grown, when you’re ready to retire, or whatever it is you’re waiting for).
Reasons to Start Writing Right Now
1. It will probably take twice as long as you think it will to reach your writing goals.
Most people think they’re going to sit down one day and write a novel in a few weeks.
The story will simply “come to them” and all they’ll need to do is write it all down.
That may happen, but what simply “comes to you” probably won’t be marketable.
It will require a lot of rewriting, then editing, then proofing, then marketing.
In fact, anyone who is thought of as an “overnight success” usually spent years working to become successful.
If they had sat around and waited for a story to “come to them” they’d probably still be waiting.
Start writing right now and your story will begin to take shape.
2. You never know what the future will bring – all you really have is now.
If you wait to start writing, you may never get the chance.
You don’t know what the future will hold, including how much of a future you have or how long you will be healthy and able to write.
If you wait, it could be too late when you do decide to get started, so start writing right now.
3. You will probably need to write a LOT more before you get very good at it.
Even if you manage to write a novel fairly quickly, you’ll probably need to write at least a few novels (in the same genre) before you reach any significant level of monetary success.
Start now and you could have several novels completed within the next few years.
Do you really want to wait until you're much older to become a successful writer?
I doubt it.
So start writing right now.
4. Fear will ALWAYS be part of your life as a writer.
If you try to wait until you overcome all fear, you’ll never start writing.
The good news is, fear will affect you less and less the more you write.
Don’t let fear stop you dead in your tracks.
Start writing now.
5. You don’t have to be the most talented writer on the planet to be successful.
In fact, there are many people with great writing talent who are not successful.
They don’t write enough.
They aren’t consistent or persistent.
They never, or hardly ever, submit their work for possible publication.
If you write on a consistent basis, you submit your work regularly, and you keep at it, you can be very successful even if you don’t have gobs of talent.
Just start writing.
6. Opportunities will come to you, but you have to be in the game first.
When you start out as a writer, you need to look for opportunities everywhere.
But when you’ve been writing for a while and you’ve become published, opportunities will start coming to you.
Nothing will come to you if you do nothing.
Get in the game now, so opportunities will start coming your way.
7. Your muse will start to show up more regularly once you do the same.
Most people don’t write because they can't decide what to write or they don't know what to write.
They may have an idea for a novel or short story, for example, but the chapters and scenes don’t instantly spring to mind.
They don't know that usually sitting down and getting started is what brings these chapters and scenes to mind.
Writing itself opens the floodgates to creativity.
So just start writing.
8. You can call the shots.
You can become whatever kind of writer you want to be.
You can decide what you will write and who you will write it for.
You can decide what you will charge for your work or which projects you will accept.
But again, you can’t do any of this if you don’t start writing.
9. You can set your own schedule.
If you work at a regular J-O-B, someone will tell you the days and hours you must work.
You will probably also have to do your work from a specific location.
But you can set your own schedule as a writer.
You can write when and where you like!
So why wait?
Start writing.
10. You already have everything you need to get started right now.
You have enough time, enough talent, and enough skill to start writing right now.
Even if you must continue to work another full time job for income, you can still start your writing career.
Write before work.
Write after work.
Write on your lunch hour.
Write on your days off.
Many best-selling authors started their writing careers this way.
Your Future Depends on What You Do Today
So stop putting off your writing career for sometime in the future.
Start writing right now.
Try it!
Ready to start your writing career right now, but you know you need help?
Get the one-on-one coaching you need: www.quickstartfreelancewriting.com
4 comments:
Suzanne, I especially like "you can call the shots!" Authors have more power over their careers than ever before. Sure, it's uphill. But taking on a career always has been uphill. Think of the time many of us put into preparing for our first career (if we're in that part of life's arc right now). And because we did, learning a second (or third!) will be easier. We have new technology and all that past experience does count for something!
Suzanne, great tips on getting your writing started and moving forward. I think #5 is pertinent - it's easy to feel you're not good enough or others are better than you. But, the person who gets published and creates a successful writing business is the one who perseveres.
Hey, Carolyn,
You're right. It's a great time to be an author these days. And a great time to be a freelance writer. I feel so lucky to do this for a living!
Karen,
I remind my coaching clients of this all the time. They think they have to write the best book ever written when they just need to write the best book they can write.
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