Don't Make Excuses

Being an English major with a creative writing emphasis, perhaps I should share some of my infinite wisdom I've been adding to as I've gone through my education. It's impossible to explain all the things I've learned since I first stepped on campus all in one sitting (and my wisdom is not infinite, but don't go telling people that! I've got a reputation to maintain!), but perhaps for all you other aspiring writers out there, some of the things I'm learning may be beneficial to you. You may be tempted to discard my knowledge as my credentials are somewhat lacking (i.e. never officially been published...in anything that really matters anyway. There was that one time in high school but...anyway...). But I'm learning through experience, and that's what I'll share with you. When I begin another attempt to make it into the published world, I can give you advice on that too, but for now, you'll get some perspective from a soon to be holder of a bachelor's degree. Huzzah! But enough of that.

First of all, let me recommend a book to you, and it is probably advice from said book that I will focus on for this post today. This was required reading for my creative writing class. I really enjoyed it and it gives very helpful tips for writers. And it's a quick and enjoyable read! It is called "The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes (And how to Avoid Them)" by Jack M. Bickham.

His first piece of advice is to stop making excuses. It kind of reminds me of how I always say there is no time to exercise. I let that excuse hold me back. We do the same thing with writing. Published writers don't have unlimited time either. You have to make time. If it really is important to you, you will make time. Sometimes that means giving up something else, making some sort of sacrifice. Maybe you get up a little earlier or go to bed a little later. Maybe you spend less time on facebook...or blogger (pah! Never!). Or you can relax a bit on your video game obsession or put your favorite TV shows on hold for a bit. "But those are the essence of life" or "But I need those things to help me relax" you may say. Understandable...well the second one is anyway. I spend way too much time with those things too! The important thing is time management. Organize your time. It's possible to have time and sometimes you need a little break between work or classes and writing because writing is work too. Just don't let those things take up your whole day.

You don't have to go writing all day either. Just set an allotted amount of time to it, preferably on a daily basis, and pretty soon you'll have a bunch of short stories or be well on your way to finishing your first novel. I make it sound so easy. Let me assure you that writing is not all fun and games, but even with where I am as a writer, I can look at what I've done and tell you wholeheartedly that it is worth it.

So I guess that's my writing advice for the day. Don't let excuses get in the way. Writing takes practice, so dedicate time to it, and being well read can help too. The more you read, the easier it is for you to pick up on styles or even correct grammar and characters and plot, etc. that will help you with your own writing.

Take a look at Bickham's book! He addressed a lot of my concerns. Don't give up. If you want to write, do it. Don't expect miracles to happen. Writing takes a lot of work and usually a lot of rejection before it's accepted. Sometimes you get lucky, but if you aren't one of those, don't be discouraged.

Have a good day and happy writing to you all :)