The Rise of the Writer!

Someone told me we all have at least one book within us. So, you only become an author when you write your second. I have been blessed to have written NINE so far. I wasn’t a writer, I wasn’t the grammar Nazi, I wasn’t the literature connoisseur, and I was not even close to being an author, yet it all came to me. A lot of people try, quit, try, quit, try again and then finally quit writing. So many of us have ideas, thoughts, and views erupting within like volcanic lava, yet the lava never comes out, the volcano of creativity seldom erupts.

I am far from being an authority, but I have been endowed with divine two years where more than 6,00,000 words have come out of my fingers, heart, and soul. Hence, I think to myself, what did I do right?

See if it helps you, else just wish me luck and love ??

 1.      The first manuscript, article, or poem you write will never be perfect. So… don’t chase perfection. Chase progress. Keep moving, keep writing. You will have your entire life to correct and decorate something. What doesn’t exist can’t be corrected!

 2.      Half the battle is just showing up. Like your toddler needs to just show up at the door of his/her prenursery class, you need to show up for the cause of writing. Just start pressing those keys. You write one word at a time. So write that word now and show up.

 3.      Not everything you write needs to make sense. Writing is like life. Sometimes it doesn’t make any sense while it is happening to you but once you look back, it all fucking makes sense. Plus, in writing unlike in life, you can always delete and write again.

 4.      Writing is also like working out in the gym. It needs muscle memory. You do it with discipline, at the same place, at the same time and then it grows on you. Build the habit of writing and then the habit drives you automatically.

 5.      Your mind, your views, your opinion, your ideas, your story. You do not write for the world. You do not write to impress, to get those likes, to get appreciation. You write because you have some stuff to express. Writing is not showing off, it’s meditation. So go within, dig deeper and get that stuff out.

 6.      At the same time, whatever you write you must share. Let people read, review, discuss and give feedback. Sharing is important, announcing your talent is even more important but be honest with your craft. Real love lies not in showing off, it is in just loving.

 7.      Learn to catch ideas like you catch fish. Be patient, be aware, watch every idea carefully, and go for the catch. Ideas will come and go; you will have to learn to believe in the ones that come back again. The ones that do not leave you visit you in dreams while driving, on the shit pot, while watching a movie or while running. Creativity happens in those silly random routine monotonous noisy moments.

 8.      Finally, if you have an idea, consider it divine intervention. Some unknown source must have sent it to you. No one knows the origin of thoughts, they come from nothingness. Your job is to respect them, honor them and act on them. You are the messenger, not the sender.

 And like always the fool had to ask the wise man “How can be I a great writer?

The wise man replied, “start by being a bad one!”

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