Just Write?
You’ve heard it over and over. Want to be a writer? Just write.
Yeah. Right. It’s a lie.
Just writing will not make you a writer. Even writing every day won’t make you a writer.
Because writing is not stringing grammatically correct sequences of perfectly spelled words into sentences that your mother can make sense of. I can’t think of a more useless waste of time than just writing.
And if you’re an aspiring writer, these words are most likely a curse to prevent you from achieving your dream.
The ‘inclusive’ milksops claiming if you write, you’re a writer, are either covering for their own failures or have no care for literary standards.
I can run, but does that entitle me to call myself an athlete? Should a berth be set aside for me in the next Olympics?
No. That’s just stupid.
Your first question to yourself when you imagine pursuing writing should be, can I spell? If you couldn’t spell impeccably in your senior year, you’re not a writer. Are you conversant with the rules of grammar? Seriously. Are you? Be honest and maybe save yourself time and heartbreak.
Still here? Cool. I’m not done. This next one is hard. Real hard. The hardest question you will ever face.
Why do you want to be a writer?
Think before you answer. Whatever your response, it must be true, because if it’s not, your fib will reveal itself. It should be founded on your strongest, most durable personal attribute, to better withstand future criticism and rejection yet stay your course.
Even now your chances to become a writer are maybe 50–50. Maybe.
What good is a writer with nothing to say?
What do you want to say? What is your purpose in writing?
Writing without purpose is emotional gibberish or ego masturbation, useless to any audience besides yourself. You might get your BFF to read it, but however they respond, they’re lying and now respect you less than they did.
If you think about why you love this writer or that, open one of their books in the middle. Anywhere in the middle. Randomly. What do you see?
Words. Sentences. Paragraphs. But do you see their genius? Is there anything on the pages you see that you could cite as evidence of your loyalty?
No. Why not? You love their stories, and the unique way they tell them. The words are just words. Without the story, the words are nothing special.
Just write? No. The story is king, and the better you are at crafting stories, the better a writer you’ll be.
