Dear Aspiring Writer, We NEED You
Writing is tough. Writing something remarkable is even more difficult.
The gap between the idea of writing and the practice itself is so large, because it takes a certain energy and commitment to accomplish.
You have what it takes to be a writer. I have no doubt in my mind you could be great if you tried.
In a pivotal moment of my life, a friend asked me to start writing for him. I always kind of wanted to write, but he gave me the permission I wasn’t able to give myself.
After I started I never looked back.
I want to give you that permission right now.
I hope by the end of reading this you’ll get started, because we need you.
What if?
What if Steven King’s wife didn’t pick Carrie out of the trash can and convince him to publish the book? We wouldn’t have the dozens of horror classics that sparked the growth of a genre.
What if J.K. Rowling decided to give up on publishing Harry Potter after dozens of rejections from publishers? Millions of imaginations wouldn’t have been taken on roller coaster ride.
What if George R.R. Martin decided to go into accounting instead of writing stories? Game of Thrones wouldn’t exist. I repeat, Game of Thrones wouldn’t exist. What a terrifying thought.
The book stores and libraries we visit are full of words written by people who had the courage to go from aspiring to professional.
What if you’re supposed to be one of those courageous people?
The amount of stories found in libraries and books stores pales in comparison to the amount of stories found in the graveyard.
Amazing stories by amazing people never made it onto paper and into the world.
To me, one of the saddest things in the world is being buried with your “what ifs.”
Do you want your life to end with “what if?”
You can create something special with your words, but will you?
You WILL Get Better
I get it.
You want to be a writer, but you don’t think you are or ever will be good enough.
Here’s the thing — nobody is born a gifted writer.
Talent helps, of course, but even the writing legends we look up grew into the masters they became.
To be a great writer, you need to practice. If you practice, you will get better.
I’ll prove it.
If I show you what I’m about to show you, will you promise not to laugh at me?
Ok. Here goes.
What you’re about to see is the first paragraph of something I wrote in the beginning of my writing career.
Prepare to cringe.
“I remember when I was young how thrilling, and terrifying it was to go walk up to a girl and talk to her. When I was young I would describe a girl with phrases like “she is really pretty” or “she is beautiful”. When I say young I mean grade school days, because not too long after that things began to change. I’m not sure exactly how old I was, but I estimate that around the age of 13 was when I first watched a pornographic film. I talk a lot about the cognitive functioning of the brain and how neural pathways are built constantly by one’s behaviors, especially is the behavior is repetitive.”
This paragraph is a struggle bus colliding into a train wreck. I had no idea what I was doing and the writing didn’t make sense. I could’ve stopped there. Maybe I should’ve stopped there because of how bad it was, but I didn’t.
I kept writing poorly until I got better.
200 + blog posts later, I’m a much better writer. I’ll never stop learning and practicing, because I know given enough time I’ll become the master I wish to be.
The same will happen for you if you do the work. Writing is something anybody can excel in with practice.
You’re the only one standing in your way.
Unique Perspectives
I have no idea what it’s like to be a woman struggling to earn respect in the male dominated advertising industry, a thirty year old man who was supposed to die at the age of two, or a millionaire who lost all his money and made it back more than once, but their stories gave me a small glimpse into their lives.
Stories give me perspectives I’d never be able to see on my own. Different perspectives help me “see,” better.
Your side of the story can help other people “see,” better too.
You might not think you’re special, but you are. There’s nobody like you. There’s nobody who can write like you.
We want your angle on the story, even if it’s only different by a degree, because it helps broaden the conversation as a whole.
26 letters creates billions of unique stories. It’s amazing to think of it that way.
We need your mixture of 26 letters, because we can’t cook the recipe like you can, even though we have the same ingredients. That’s the beauty of writing. Everything’s been said, but there’s always a new way to say it.
Only you can say it your way.
We Need You
Without talented writers, the world would be a drab and dreary place.
Your favorite T.V. shows and movies have writers. Someone wrote the speeches that sparked change in the world and moved people. Words are the currency of life. We need writers like you to make our lives better.
In my personal life, I have a hard time showing empathy. I can be arrogant, narcissistic, and selfish. I’m able to empathize with others with my writing.
When someone thanks me for what I’ve written, I’m reminded of the point of writing. It’s not really about me. It’s about the impact my words have on someone else.
If you’re on the fence about pursuing a writing career, consider this — it’s not about you.
It’s about what the world needs from you.
If you were in a position to help a friend or family member, would you turn your back on them? No. You’d do everything in your power to help them.
You have the power to make an impact on other people’s lives with your words. To ignore your power is to rob us from something we need.
You owe us your words.
They’re not yours. They’re ours.
Something you write in the future could change someones life and be their turning point.
Your writing can give someone a laugh when they’re feeling low or a story to immerse their imagination in when their real life is tough to bear.
Think of your writing as a gift to give other people. If you can’t do it for yourself, do it for us, because we need you.
