I used to write short stories for fun when I was a college student. I shared these creations with a few friends, but I never considered submitting them for publication. I did send one in to the Twilight Zone fiction contest (the contest Dan Simmons one — boy, was I out of my league!) but otherwise I was content to simply create.
Then I became an aspiring writer for far too many years.
We all know aspiring writers. They’re the people who talk a lot about writing, about how they want to write, even about the stories they plan to write, but never get around to the actual process of putting words down on the page. They come up with any number of excuses for why they aren’t writing, some of them valid.
It wasn’t until about ten years ago that I became a writer again. I found the time to write most days, I devoted myself to improving my craft, and I started submitting things for publication.
I met an aspiring writer last week at the place where I normally have breakfast in the morning between my writing session and my day job. I’d been aware of him for a while. Each Thursday morning, he and several other men meet for breakfast. It’s not a very large place, so I often overhear their conversations. This guy talks at length about the novel he wants to write, going into great detail about the characters and the plot, other works it’s similar to, stuff like that. The other men give him a hard time–not because he wants to write, but because he’s been talking about writing for so long.
They aren’t very encouraging. This week I overheard him talk about an article he’d stumbled upon when he was going through his research material for the novel. One of his friends laughed and made a disparaging comment about the amount of dust he must have encountered. I’ve heard him mutter and laugh whenever the subject of the book comes up. They’ve heard it all before.
Last week, the fellow introduced himself to me after seeing a flyer I’d posted on the message board about my most recent book. He waited until the others were gone and proceeded to ask me questions about my writing. More than once he replied wistfully about how he wanted to do this and wanted to do that, but he couldn’t find time. I described my routine to him and I could see his internal conflict. He wanted to be able to do something similar, but for some reason he didn’t seem convinced that he could pull it off. I’m not sure what his stumbling block was — maybe he didn’t really have any faith in his ability to pull off a novel. Maybe he had talked about the book for so long that he had essentially already written it in his mind and so to put it down on paper seemed like drudgery. Perhaps his personal circumstances — family obligations or the demands of his day job — did not provide him with the necessary time and energy to work on his writing for any amount of time on a regular basis.
It’s probably difficult for any one of us to explain the transformation — what it is that convinces us to change from being aspiring writers to the real thing. I remember the excuses I used to come up with in the years before I started writing again. I had nowhere permanent to work. Every time I wanted to start working, I had to set up my computer somewhere and assemble my papers, and it just took too long. I didn’t want to lock myself away in a room and ignore the rest of the family. All very good excuses, and all surmountable, at least in my case. My wife bought me a rolltop desk, and that took care of the logistics. I summoned the gumption to get up at 5 a.m. each day, a time when no one else in the house was awake, to do my work, so I didn’t have to worry about ignoring people. And I mustered the stick-to-it-iveness to keep at it, day after day, week in, week out.
There’s a quote attributed to Dorothy Parker that says, “I hate writing, I love having written.” Aspiring writers never get to enjoy the second part.
Last summer was the summer I snapped and decided that instead of plucking I needed to dive in. I went looking for writing groups to keep me motivated and found NaNoWriMo. It was an amazing experience and really gave me some good perspectives of how much time I really did have that could be used for writing. I think that once you start you often surprise yourself with how possible it all is. I have yet to finish, but am dearly looking forward to that glorious moment when I hold my first rough draft in hand.
Elizabeth Moon said one of the best and most-effective bits about writing: “I don’t find time to write… I make time to write. Big difference.”
Your post, Parker’s quote, and Moon’s (from Wolf’s comment) are all spot-on. I’m somewhere between “aspiring writer” and “real writer” on the spectrum, and 2010 is all about getting me ALL THE WAY to the “real writer” side. Thanks for this!
Thank you for this. I was too shy to write for YEARS (even though I was an actor who thought nothing of getting up in front of hundreds of people).
One day about three years ago, I woke up on a Sunday morning, pulled out my laptop and started a short story.
I haven’t stopped since.
Yay writing!
I started with NaNoWriMo 2009 as well. Before that it was only writing a few paragraphs here and there whenever inspiration struck. But NaNo taught me discipline, because there was only one day in that November I didn’t meet my daily quota, and I made up for it the next day anyway. What helped me was the community of people I could discuss with and the write-in I went to every Sunday. It was one of the best experiences of my life by far.
I describe myself still as an aspiring author, though. Because even if I have written a novel, it’s not very good. It needs work. I’m still a neophyte when it comes to writing. Publishing is still a ways down the road.
Thank you for the post!
For me the problem is the editing. I think it’s the worst part. You have something sitting there, teasing you, telling you that you’re almost there but at the same time the farthest away from being ‘there’ than you’ve ever been. You convince yourself it’s just a little grammar and spell check, but it’s not. Personal example: Took six months to write the novel. I’m 6 months passed that and still sludging through chapter 3. The task is daunting, but you feel like it shouldn’t be because, hey, didn’t you basically finish that thing already? Quite the conundrum….
Painful truths abound here, Bev. Some aspirants, and their would-be projects, seemed doomed to forever remain zygotes and embryos.
Writing is just one of those things that requires a 100% self-starter. In the beginning, at least, nobody’s waiting for it. Nobody demands it from you. Nobody’s looking over your shoulder, imposing the pressure of a deadline. And if you don’t deliver, nobody cares. If you don’t place those expectations on yourself, there will always be something easier and less threatening to do, some path of lesser resistance.
The heartening thing, though, is that you can never be entirely safe in, no pun intended, writing someone off. There will always be those who, one day, tap into some new reservoir of determination or courage or disgust with their procrastination, and make the leap.
Until that day, I suppose the mission of the rest of us is to not be the rest of those guys around the cafe table.
THanks for this pep talk…i consider myself a writer, but I have been in a fiction rut lately and needed a lifeline to get out… Time to dust off one of those half-written novels now
Making time is the key!
Just this past year(2009)I moved from aspiring occasional writer, to writing daily on a novel. I’ve made so much progress finally! Still, it is always helpful to read or listen to how other writers do it, their ‘process’. Thanks for being inspirational to me this evening.
Love the article. I do consider myself an ‘aspiring writing’. Since losing my day job, I either write or am working out scenes in my head. This is the year to complete my manuscripts and submit them for publication.
Great post. Just wrote a post about my own journey towards “real.” Still some way to go. Thanks for the reminder.
@Brian: (Until that day, I suppose the mission of the rest of us is to not be the rest of those guys around the cafe table.)
Exactly. I know the guys are just poking fun but it seems a little mean spirited to me. Especially for a bible group!
Thanks for all the other comments, folks!
That is so true. I have so many stories go on in my head I start them, but never get around to finishing them. I always find something more important to do. After reading your post I have decided my writing, which I love is equally as important as all the other stuff and I need to just do it.
Thank you.
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hi,
i am an artist in my own right and would like to branch out into illustration. i wonder if any aspiring writers out there could advise me please. my work is good.