I’ve written since I was in elementary school, fifth grade to be exact. However, I didn’t consider myself a writer until 2014. Once I accepted this part of my identity, I started observing and listening to writers and “aspiring” writers. I’ve determined if you want to be a writer, then this is what you’ll have to do:
START WRITING
Now that my writing is public knowledge, people confide in me. Cousins, the man at the Florida Writers Association conference, and the woman who asked me to ghostwrite her novel each want to write. But when I ask them what they’ve written so far, the answer is nothing. I advise each of them the same. Start writing. Whether it’s a public blog or a private diary, the first step is to begin.
MAKE TIME TO WRITE
I often thought my job was getting in the way of writing. That wasn’t the truth. And because no one was going to offer me more time in the day, I had to shift my priorities. Instead of watching TV every morning, I wrote for two hours. Then, I began my regular day. Where could you shift your priorities so that you can make time to write?
TAKE TIME TO EDIT
After you’ve written something, consider that your first draft. All writers have first drafts, and second, and thirds, and … you get the picture. As a former English teacher, rarely have I seen a masterpiece written in one fell swoop. When you take time to write, that means you might find yourself pondering over the use of the word stroll, saunter, or walk because you know each one of those words will change the connotation and flow of your sentence. So take the time to think about the words you’ve written in a meaningful way.
YOU THINK YOUR STORIES HAVE ALREADY BEEN HEARD
Probably. I mean an infinite number of books have been written and read. But not yours and not the way you can write it. Comments about The Unhappy Wife validated this concept. Years ago, Story Teller Alley approved me to sell my book on their site. One of the reasons it was accepted is because of originality. A reviewer said,
Although stories of unhappy marriages have been told before, because these are all true stories and each person is different, the stories are all different.
In Search of a Salve reviews have been similar. A BookLife reviewer said this:
Stories of addiction and recovery are familiar, but Garland’s memoir shines in its willingness to expose the author’s darkest, ugliest moments: In Search of a Salve is uniquely unsparing and, ultimately, triumphant.
I’m glad the innovation of my words shines through. Sometimes people read titles and assume they know what’s inside. But it’s a false assumption. Likewise, if I would’ve thought these book concepts were trite narratives, then I might not have written either of these books. So my advice? Don’t worry about it. Somebody wants to read it the way you’ve written it.
YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK
On my blog, I write about many things that have happened in my life. Stories include family, friends, and people I barely know. I couldn’t write half of what you read here if I stopped to worry about someone’s hurt feelings and revisionists forms of history. Initially, an Anne Lamott quote helped me forge ahead with authentic writing. Lamott said, “If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.” That quote changed my entire creative nonfiction writing life. The other part that has helped me write the truth is to separate fact from emotion. For example, it’s a fact that my dad packed up my belongings in the middle of the night while I slept. However, the emotion I experienced was abandonment. Stick to the facts and make clear when you’re describing an emotion.
I hope one of these sparks the writer in you. Trust me. Someone, somewhere is waiting to hear your voice, even if the someone is you.
K E Garland 