Not a writer

Well, do you want to write? If so, it may be that you just need more practice writing. And you may work better under a deadline as many people do.

If you do not write, you cannot improve your writing. Sometimes a good story just flows out - other times it is a real trial.

Fingers said:

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Does this make sense? Anyone else able to relate to this? Comments please. I have not posted here in AW. My one story is on another forum so if anyone is interested in reading it you can pm me or see me in the chat room and i can give you a link to it. Thanks.

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I can relate to it. Very easily.

The thing I try to tell myself to do is just put the thoughts down on paper however they come out, then sort them out and make them better when I have them written down.

But like Kate pointed out, you cannot make your writing better if you don't practice. You need that practice.

Also, like she mentioned, do you want to write? Or would you rather do something else? Don't be afraid to find out for yourself what you really want to do. No one has any right to judge you for wanting to do something else with your life.

But whatever you do, remember the old saying: Practice makes Perfect. You have to practice whatever you put your mind to doing before you can become good at it.

It's just like playing an instrument. Sure, the practice can be pretty darned boring, but as you continue to work at it, you become better and more skilled.

Sometimes, I've noticed, learning something new as an adult can be more difficult than it is when you are a child. I think part of the reason for this is we feel accomplished in other areas and almost feel insulted that we have to start at square one with a brand-new goal.

Don't feel bad; just know whether you really want to be a writer or not, and then, if you do, practice.

But if you don't want to be a writer, don't fret about it; just find something you do want to be, and put your very best into it.


I hope this helps. Good luck to you whatever you decide you want to do.

Fingers said:

Yes, I think this all boils down to whether or not I want to be a writer and I guess I have to say no. I dont think its a matter of facing the new thing or having to start at square one. I went through all that when I went back to school in 92 and I did pretty darn good. I have found the one thing that appeals to me and have worked at getting good at it. I guess I felt kinda guilty hanging around here without 'being one of the guys/gals' or something. Thanks also for your input.

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First and foremost, don't feel bad about that. It's hard for me to tell myself (let alone other writers) that I have decided not to pursue writing as a profession. I'm still writing and will continue to do so, but more as a hobbyist than anything else, at least for the time being. I know it's hard for a lot of people to say things like that. So don't feel guilty about hanging out here and talking about it. The fact you've talked about this seems to have helped you find out what you really want to do, and that's a good thing.

Secondly, I think it's good you've figured out what you want to do. I wish you the very best with it, and I know that because you love what you've decided to do, you will likely do well at it.

But know that you have a lot of friends here, and I hope you will continue to stay in touch. I'm also glad I was able to be of help to you.

I wish you all the best in everything you do.

I have no problem writing if I have an external deadline or am handed a topic. Doesn't matter what topic. If I have to do it, I can do it. Writing for myself takes a little more discipline. I returned to it after several years of not writing, and it was frustrating and did take a lot of practice to get back to the point where language was easier for me to wield in the style to which I was accustomed. Do I want to be a professional writer in that that's what I do all day? No. I do want to write and create the stories that are in my head, and in order to be good at it, I have to keep working at it. If I didn't want to write those stories, however, no amount of talent or encouragement could convince me I should.

Not sure if that helps you any.

I think the issue here is skill vs talent. It sounds like you have talent, but you aren't honing the skills. Anyone can become a better writer with practice and work. Those with talent just have a little extra something to add. The question is, do you want to be a writer?

If you want to be a writer, you need to write. I do regular writing practice and I've learned that some days are crap and some days are golden and most days are OK. It gives me faith in the process to know that even when I'm writing crap, the golden days are out there somewhere. If you want to write, reading good books, writing regularly, and studying grammar will improve your work over time.

If you don't want to be a writer, then don't sweat it. If you feel inspired, write. If you don't, don't. Find something else you love (fly fishing, model rockets, knitting) and do that with passion instead.

Good luck.

Fingers said:

Do I want to write? Thats a hard question. Sometimes I do want to write but I get very frustrated that I cant get down on paper whats in my head. I dont think its a matter of practice.

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I'm a painter, as well as a writer, and one thing I've learned over the years is that if I don't paint, I have a much harder time of it when I do.

For a very long time, painting was frustrating because I couldn't get the images in my head onto paper or canvas in the way I wanted. I'd get fed up with the crap I was producing and quit painting for a while in disgust. Then, when I felt inspired, I'd fall back into the same trap--doing it badly, struggling with it, being diasppointed, and abandoning it again.

The only way I can stay out of that trap is to keep making art on a regular basis, even when I don't really feel like it, and even through the down times when I'm convinced it's all crap. And yes, I do end up making a lot of art that I think is inadequate. Sometimes, I have to work with the same imagery several times over before I start to feel like it's coming together. There are a lot of days when it seems like there's no point in continuing, but as time goes on and I keep working at it, I have an increasing number of days when it all comes together and I'm satisfied with what I do.

If I only paint when I feel like it, I spare myself a lot of day-to-day frustration, but I don't learn anything. I don't grow, I don't get any better at it, I don't learn how to articulate my thoughts. I also never get to have those days when it's all going well, where I get in the flow and it's suddenly, miraculously easy. If I really want to paint and be any damn good at it, I have to deal with frustration and inadequacy. I have to work in spite of it.

Writing's always been easier for me, but the same thing applies.

Other times, (most of the time) I dont want to write. I think lately Ive been trying to write because Im feeling like I am somehow letting people down because I havent been writing. They keep telling me I am a good writer and need to write but it just isnt coming. Ah well.

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If you're trying to write only because other people think you should, you're writing for the wrong reasons. Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you're obligated to do it.

Maybe you really don't want to write.

Or maybe you're giving other people's opinions about you (as a writer) too much importance. Why should it matter to them so much whether you write or not? Unless they're paying you to write, they have no business telling you that you "need to write." Whether you need to write or not is not for them to say.

As a painter, I had the worst time of it when I bought into other people's ideas of what I should do as an artist. I still have relatives who think it's a terrible shame that I'm not a professional artist, making money from my work, and having gallery shows--because that's their fantasy about what an artist's life is like. It took me a long time to realize that those people wished they were artists (or at least could be artistic, bohemian, or happily nonconformist) in some way, so they projected their wishful-thinking on me and expected me to fulfill those ideas. I didn't start to relax and enjoy making art again until I decided to do it solely on my own terms.

One of the drawbacks of being a creative person is that other people will try to live vicariously through you, and in doing so will tell you what and how to create. If you listen to them and take them seriously, it will mess with your head and make creativity seem like torture. This is why I don't talk about my creative work at all with certain people. They know I write, which is bad enough; there's no way I'm telling them what I'm writing, much less showing it to them, until it's published. And I've learned to tune out all their advice and opinions on writing, and what it means to be a successful writer, and what I should do as a writer, because it all has everything to do with their fantasies and nothing to do with my reality.

Or maybe you really don't want to write. Or maybe you do want to write, but you don't want to be a professional writer. I don't know, and can't anwer that one for you. But in the process of deciding whether you do or not I strongly advise ignoring the opinions of anyone who is 1) not a writer, and 2) isn't paying you to write.

Fingers, you've been hanging around writers long enough that you've become one by osmosis. Admit it. Resistance is futile.