Yoda’s advice for aspiring writers
Either you’re a writer. Or you’re not.
There’s nothing in between.
‘Aspiring’ writer is just a cop out way of saying you’re trying to be a writer.
It means you don’t believe yourself. If you believed it, you’d be writing, not aspiring to write.
That brings us to the first piece of writing wisdom from Yoda:
Yoda’s words of writing wisdom: 1
“Try not. DO. Or do not. There is no try.”
Just bloody write already!
Set time aside to write. 2 minutes a day. 1 sentence. Anything.
There are countless ways to find creativity. Look around. Look inside yourself.
Ideas are practically throwing themselves at you if you bother to take notice.
Topics are everywhere!
From cooking your favourite dish, or fooling around with kids, to backpacking, or the sunrise — there’s plenty to write about.
Deal with writer’s block.
Quit with the excuses.
Just write.
Yoda’s words of writing wisdom: 2
“Fear is the path to the dark side”
Use fear as your signal. That you care enough about something to be scared shitless about it.
You can choose what to do about your fear.
Will it drive you forward — or lead you to the dark side, curled up in a ball, whimpering ‘Why can’t I get anywhere in life? What am I supposed to do with my life? It’s too hard. I’m too tired. It’s too expensive. It takes too long.’
Sound familiar?
Don’t sweat it mate. We all do it.
- Surround yourself with your own group of jedis to train with (like jedis from The Mission, or The Writing Cooperative).
- Find a jedi master to guide you.
- Get used to failing and stubbornly hold onto the mantra ‘I’m not going to quit’ and make the world yours (like Angie Hicks did — check out The list that made her millions by The Mission).
- Arm yourself with a lightsaber — your pen — when fear attacks. Use its own brutal force to your benefit. Write about it!
But how will we know what’s good or bad? What advice to take seriously — and which to ignore?
What rules to follow — and which to break?
Yoda’s words of writing wisdom: 3
“You will know (the good from the bad) when you are calm, at peace”
Close your eyes. Listen to your breath. In and out.
Watch your thoughts frantically lap around your mind.
Or if that’s not your thing, take the dog out for a walk on the beach. Hike in the forest. Turn up the music. Draw. Ride. Sit on the deck with a glass of wine (or a beer). Choose your meditation.
When you read an article, ignore who wrote it. Toss out the qualifications or achievements that command you to pay attention to every word they write.
Instead, focus.
How does it make you feel?
What speaks to you?
What will you take away from this that will steer your writing in the direction you’d like it to go?
If any piece of writing doesn’t sit well — no matter who it’s written by…
Toss it out.
When you’re calm and at peace, you’ll know. Trust yourself. Believe in your own intuition. It’s there, I promise.
Yoda’s words of writing wisdom: 4
“Many of the truths that we cling to depend on our point of view.”
Think you’re not good enough? Well you are good enough (and always have been).
Are you a perfectionist? Ok. But don’t let perfectionism get in the way of progress.
Afraid to do something because of what others think of you? It’s been found most of the time they don’t care as much as you think. Check out the ‘Spotlight effect’, a study by Thomas Gilovich.
Don’t try. Do. Overcome fear and use it to drive you. Be calm. And work on your point of view. Next, is more about fear, because that’s what it comes down to doesn’t it?
Yoda’s words of writing wisdom: 5
“Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.”
What do you fear losing the most?
Your credibility.
Your reputation.
Your pride and ego.
Your confidence.
The respect of your friends, family, and peers…
So would you rather stay where you are and keep all these wrapped tightly in plastic? Try something new and risk losing it all — or risk building these up, tenfold? Maybe not now, maybe not soon, but eventually.
Like Yoshiko Shinohara, the woman who bet on herself despite having the whole country against her. Who got hauled into the police station repeatedly as they accused her innovative business of illegal activity.
Yoshiko saw the future, had the courage to recreate it, changed her future —and the futures of countless others through her conviction, action, and perseverance: “I hate to lose”. (In The four words that made her a billionaire by The Mission).
Would you rather simply exist. Or do what makes you feel alive? Do you have the courage and conviction to do what could change the direction of your life — and the lives of others?
It starts with a word.
Finally…
Yoda’s words of writing wisdom: 6
“If no mistake have you made, yet losing you are…a different game you should play.”
If you can’t bring yourself to begin. To put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).
To write that first shitty draft again and again.
To receive critique from people you admire — and strangers.
To begin without an audience — and without a writing achievement to your name.
Are you really serious about being a writer? Or are you content to aspire to be a writer? And wonder why it’s not happening…
Losing you are… and perhaps a different game you should play.
Or will you put your hand out for the lightsaber. To just begin. To write one word. Followed by another. And then another.
The moves will come. The words will flow. I believe in you. Just do it.
Summary: Yoda’s message for aspiring writers
There are no aspiring writers. Just writers.
Take the lightsaber. Swing it. Own it.
Write on, writer.
What’s your favourite Yoda quote and why? I’d love to know :)
Cheers for reading.
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