A Writer's Life: Part 1

I apologize that I have been AWOL for so long. Had preparations for the holidays, there was a nasty flu bug that wiped one out for several weeks straight, had some health issues, and visited family over Christmas break. But, better late than never, Happy New Year and all that jazz, I am back! :)

Today, let's talk about a writer's life. If you walk in any bookstore  or peruse the shelves at the library, you'll very quickly notice that most of the authors are older and mostly in their 40's-60's, with established lives and careers. You don't really see any younger, success authors out there in their 20's and 30's, those who are barely out of college or starting a family, or living on their own. Why is that? What happened to authors like, Mary Shelley who wrote Frankenstein when she was 17, or Helen Keller who wrote The Story of My Life at 22, or Charles Dickens who published his first novel of the Pickwick Papers when he was 24, or Ralph Waldo Emerson who wrote his first poem, "Good-Bye," when he was 20? It used to be commonplace for authors to write and publish their work when they were in their 20's and 30's. Why is that not happening now?

There are a lot of misconceptions about authors out there, such as, you will always be poor if you are an author, or, you have to live an isolate life like David Thoreau and have a cabin in the middle of nowhere out in the woods, so you can have a flood of ideas in a peaceful environment. There is also the idea that writing is only a hobby, something to do once you have already lived your life and are established financially and have free time, like fishing, or skiing, or golfing. 

I don't believe that is true. I believe that if you are passionate about something, you will do whatever is necessary to accomplish it. Yes, you still need to eat and pay rent, (I am not saying to go and quit your job to become a full time author), but, you can make time in your busy lives to write a page or two at night, instead of watching one more episode from your favorite TV show on Netflix late into the early hours of the morning. :) I have been there in the same boat, more times than I would like to admit, but I also know that I never feel better than when I am writing and creating something with my own words, seeing something that used to just be an idea, come to life on the page, as a result of me writing. 

To not give up on our dreams of writing and give into the misconceptions of being an author and get discouraged that we will never "make it," I believe that we need to be at peace with who we are, both as an individual and as a creator. Here are some excellent "Rules of Successful Writing," that one of my creative professors at BYU-Idaho, Joshua Allen, gave us in his creative writing class:

1. "Be yourself and never apologize for it. Do what is fun and what is you. Tell the stories you were put here to tell." Don't try to fit into someone else's mold, be who you are. If you want to write a series of mystery books, revolving around culinary deserts like Josi S. Kilpack, go for it. If you want to write an off the wall series about Evil Librarians who try to take over the world like Brandon Sanderson, do it. You don't have to be a cookie-cutter writer who writes a fantasy story, or regency romance novel, or children's bedtime story, or horror novel, exactly the same as the next person. Be your own unique author and ask yourself, "what kind of author do I want to be, where do I fit?"

2. "Let go of myths about the idyllic, 'writer's life'." It is okay to be your own type of writer, and go about writing in any way you see fit. If that means staying up super late and typing while the kids are in bed, or getting up in the wee hours of the morning, do it. If it means taking your lunch break at work to write, do it. If it means writing when you are on the bus on your way to school or work, write then. Be your own person and figure out when works best for you and your life and your schedule. If you randomly have a thought, write it down. You don't know what an idea that is quickly jotted down while in line at the grocery store could spark months down the line. Don't be afraid to write whenever, and wherever, you can. You'd be surprised how much time you can squeeze in to do something you love. 

3. "Be willing fail and write badly, so you can improve. The difference between a beginning writer and intermediate writer or advanced writer, is being willing to fail and be bad at something for a long time, before you become good at it." It is okay to write badly, since you are practicing writing to become better. Professor Allen taught that, "just as it takes 10,000 hours of practice at least to become an expert, it could take 10,000 "bad" pages before you become a pro and write "good" pages." There is no shame in writing badly, so give yourself permission to fail.

So, let's get out there and write! Don't listen to any false ideas out there, that you have to reach a certain age, or certain degree of financial stability before you can write, find time today to squeeze in some writing whenever, and wherever you can, and be amazed at the time you have and the ideas you come up with that manifest themselves on the page! :)

What are some ideas you have implemented, to help you find the time to write?