How to find your inner writer

Writers have always been a bit of a rock star in my eyes. Even in the world of 24/7 on-demand video streaming, and audio at the click of a button, my preference is always words. Now, this isn’t a blog around the power of knowing your learning styles (although there is one in the offing) it’s about how you develop your own rock star skills. It’s all about how to find your inner writer.

Words are pretty much the backbone of life. Education, career, business, and fun all heavily feature the written word; they are one of the communication channels that can bring you money, joy, and opportunity. Yet, many people are fearful of words. It is something that other people do, that they will do when they are ready, and they spend time waiting for the point they can start.

Being confident with your writing is essential for all parts of life. You may be thinking you want to write for your career ( CVs or Application forms are just for starters), to develop your personal brand (through social media, internal emails or presentations) or even want to work on your creative ability for your own well-being. Yet, there is something holding you back.

I’m here to share with you my top four ways to find your inner writer:

Start writing

This may sound like the MOST OBVIOUS thing to say, but the thing that people forget. You can’t work on your writing, develop your writing or expand on your lyrical capabilities unless you ACTUALLY WRITE. So, you need to start writing, then write some more. Then some more.

Continue to write

One of the most common statements that is associated with my writing (no, not THAT one), is “I don’t know how you find the time to write.” When you picture a writer, irrespective of the topic, do you imagine a moment of creative magic, where an idea appears, and the writer has no choice but to get in down?

THIS IS STUFF OF MOVIES.

The way I write, like many, many others, is by writing, regularly. As you are reading this, you may know that I write every week on my blog. So far, that is, by my calculation, over 160 articles. Plus, the social media content I create. Plus the guest blogs I develop. Plus my book.

There is no moment where my Muse arrives, I just sit down, and write. It’s like a muscle, you must use it to build it up.

Know thyself

The biggest obstacle for my writing was the fact my spelling and grammar is, well, patchy at times. It has been the eternal mark on my school reports, degree and work history. It was the thing that stopped me sharing my articles at first; and if mistakes were spotted, I would be MORTIFIED.

Until I realised, I am not a copywriter. I am a content creator and a conversation starter. This doesn’t mean that I have disregarded quality, I have realised that I need to change the way I proof (thank you Grammarly) and be open for criticism and feedback.

Pay attention to what holding you back, and do something about it.

Be open

The number one reason that I write so much? Because I am inquisitive ( or nosey!), I have opinions, and I read. A LOT. I always have a note book or the notes section of my phone to hand, as you never know when an idea may pop up. It may be from a conversation, something in the news, a random thought or the question from a colleague.

The power of writing is that it comes from you; be it fiction or non-fiction, your view on the world, your style, your experiences all colour how you respond to these thoughts. There are no truly unique ideas anymore, but your take on the world will always be of interest to someone else.

Were you expecting a massive great bit twist in the end? Sorry to say, the best way to find your inner writer is to write, but you don’t even have to share it with the world!

You don’t owe anyone your inner thoughts BUT unless you share it with the world, it is hard to see the impact or learn how it can help you and others.

Join The Balance Collective with Clara Wilcox to share your journey!

Read other blogs on confidence here!