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I’ve been writing for almost a decade. Throughout my love affair with composition, there has been pain, fears, doubts, joy, and a sense of purpose. But here’s a few things that I picked up along the way that I think can help you become the best writer that you can be.
Learn from your inspirations, but don’t copy.
That’s plagiarism and just plain laziness.
Bluntness aside, there’s no point in copying your heroes. Their story is not your story. You can always take certain elements and tastefully incorporate them. The main reason artists create is to to inspire other creatives to create. The people that you’re reaching out to need to hear your voice, not your impression of someone else.
Developing your own voice is really a matter of time, patience, and willingness to go with the flow. It took me roughly 10 years to finally settle on a writing style that best suites me. It might be different for you. Truth is, your voice is your most valuable asset that will set you apart from the crowd and help plant your mark as an artist. Make sure that it’s heard.
Live life.
If you could read my poetry from when I first started to now, you would see the growth in quality. And it wasn’t that I just took a class or wrote more (although it helped). It was having more stories to tell. Emotions to express. And overall, just growing up and paying attention to how things work in the world.
Constant evolution is what inspires musicians to compose, writers to document, and artists to articulate visually. You’re not the same person you were yesterday, or even a few seconds ago. Yet as an introvert, I tend to spend most of my time focusing on the past and on what could have been. What if that relationship didn’t end? What if I had the courage to speak up in certain situations? What if some people stuck around and not abandon me? So on and so forth. While there’s nothing wrong with being reflective, there comes a point when you have to accept what happened, learn from it, and use it for a greater purpose.
I think the stereotype of the reclusive writer is counterproductive. You can’t talk about (or even influence) the world without participating in it. Social media has streamlined this process, receiving information through notification bars and email alerts. Life is always happening around you. Art is our response to it. Putting the human condition on display involves interacting with other humans. Learn their story. Share your story. Instead of always carrying a notepad, have an open heart and ears, willing to observe and absorb.
Know who you are.
Sort of similar to the first tip. Except this time, focus on your environment. What kind of person are you? How were your brought up?
Music is also a great place to draw inspiration from. Music and poetry have always been interconnected. So take some time and go through your playlist. See what you songs you tend to listen to and reflect on why you like to listen to them. There might be more connections than you’ll realize.
For example, I’m a shy, quiet kid that loves to listen to lyrical rap. As a result, it tends to blend into my poetry. The wordplay, wittiness, and attention to rhyming will show. I consider myself to be more of a lyricist than a songwriter. That’s mainly because I wear my musical inspirations on my sleeve, which then bleeds into my pen.
Believe it or not, I barely read poetry. Outside of classrooms and homework assignments, I normally don’t take the time to read poems from other writers. To be fair, I don’t like reading in general, even though it’s been said that more But I love to analyze song lyrics and watch reviews and discussions about some of my favorite artists.
Know what motivates you. Know how it motivates. And incorporate it into everything that you write. Let the reader know who you are.
Experiment.
Consistency and experimentation is the eternal struggle of every artist who ever existed. If you remain consistent, you’re boring. If you do something different, then people complain about change. It seems to be a lose-lose situation for the creatives, but there is a way to achieve the necessary balance that will appease the most fickle of people.
Be consistent in your strengths and experiment with your weaknesses. For example, one of my strengths as a writer is my ability to adapt. I’ve never tried to write the same poem twice and I always challenge myself in my compositions. Sometimes I’ll focus on rhyming as much as possible. Other times, I’ll rely less on metaphors and abstractions and just tell you a story in a straightforward manner. Whatever your strengths are, always play to them.
Dealing with your weaknesses, however, is another monster entirely. It’s hard to admit your weaknesses, and it’s worst when it becomes evident in your work. For me, it’s always been following a set of guidelines involving syllable counts, the amount of lines needed, rhyming schemes, etc. My least favorite form of poetry is sonnets. As a matter of fact, I just hate structured writing and formulas in general. But the few sonnets that I have written taught me to be really careful with the words I use. And if I find myself stuck, I always try to make as much wiggle room as possible. I take a break, take a walk, or take a nap. The point is, I experiment by giving myself space to write and not taking it too seriously. Realizing that it’s a struggle makes it less of a battle and more of a speed hump that I can smoothly glide over. No harm is done and I learn something new in the process.
So try out different forms of writing. See how you can adapt to the various structures and obey the different rules. When the time comes and you’re feeling rebellious, you can always make your own rules.
Publish and be proud of it.
I added this last because I imagine that’s where some of you are stuck it. Whether you’re posting on Instagram or getting ready to publish your first book, putting your work out there can bring out some inadequacies and doubts.
“I wrote this poem, but I don’t know how others will receive it.” “I just finished the final draft of this essay, but I’m not sure if it will be enough to raise my grade.”
And I know that anxiety all too well. I was 16 when I first started publishing poetry. My older brother introduced me to this website where he shared his works. I ended up doing the same, writing as much as possible and uploading as soon as I can. There was this excitement of sharing something I created.
At the same time, I felt this fear of critique. It’s this unspoken dichotomy of not wanting other people’s opinion, even though you’re writing for other people to see. I dreaded the idea of a poetic genius coming across a poem I spent days working on and writing a scathing review of it. My low self esteem would explode from the pressure and I would immediately start questioning my life’s worth. But over time, I realized the importance of critiques from those more experienced and understood that I’m not meant to be perfect at what I do. I just need to be confident in what I can deliver.
The critiques will come. The confusion will come. The praises will come. And even the obligatory vague comments will come. But as long as you are proud of what you created, the only opinion that ultimately matter is yours.
I am so thrilled! I have been chosen by BookDaily.com
to be the Featured Author of the Day! What an honor! The feature was
published in their ezine today, May 19. Here is the link to my profile
page, which was highlighted: http://www.bookdaily.com/author/2655984/profile
As a prequel to my debut on BookDaily, I thought a brief autobiography would be appropriate. This is Part II:
The writing process for me was incredible. I wrote what I knew, but I
also purposefully listened more closely to God. I searched for truth,
and God answered my prayers. The thoughts and ideas were coming to me so
quickly that I had to jot down notes as I went in order to remember
everything. Everything just flowed out of me.
The creative
process is extraordinary. Through the writing process I forged a deeper
connection with God. I had experienced this before, when I painted. I
paint mostly landscapes, what I consider the beauty of God’s creation.
When I paint, I am in a different zone, another reality, almost outside
of myself. The feeling is exhilarating, and I know that God is right
there with me. I felt the same way when I wrote. Often, I would go back
and reread what I wrote and would feel like I was reading something
someone else wrote. Other times, I would read a section because I wanted
to add an important point, only to discover that I had already made
that point. In both cases, when I paint or write, I feel like it is the
work of someone else. I know that feeling comes from God because He is
right there with me. For me, the creative process brings me closer to
God. As I wrote “A Journey Toward Perfection,” I was often brought to
tears because I experienced how amazing God is. I was also so very
thankful and felt so blessed. For me, this confirmed that what I was
writing had God’s approval. In church tradition, the “gift of tears” is
an outward expression of our faith and of our experience with God.
Throughout the process of writing my book, I became more open to
hearing God’s voice. A new perspective or way of understanding God and
our journey with Him would light up my mind as I recognized God’s truth.
The writing of A Journey Toward Perfection changed me. There were many
times when God put the mirror up to my face and told me to take another
look. I reevaluated my thinking and my beliefs about the Christian life.
The most important theme was love. God taught me what it means to truly
love unconditionally. I often saw my own ego and pride as an obstacle
to my spiritual growth. Christ’s words, “If any want to become my
followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow
me” (Matthew 16:24) took on a new meaning for me. The writing of this
book was truly a journey for me.
Even while writing A Journey
Toward Perfection, I was not certain that it would actually become a
published book. As a young girl, it was always a dream of mine to write a
book, but I had no idea that I would write about God. As an adult, I
never considered that this childhood dream would become a reality. Yet, I
felt I was on a train that could not stop. I had to keep moving forward
and see it through. Before beginning the writing of this book, I felt
lost, not knowing my purpose in life. Now, I know from experience, that
God will reveal His purpose to us when the time is right. I did not see
it, until I was well into writing my book. I knew this was part of God’s
plan for me. He has placed me on a new trajectory in life, and I am
thankful and blessed to follow Him.
I hope that the book itself,
can open the door to God for everyone who reads it. The writing of this
book took me out of the ashes of my life and propelled me onto a new
road in my journey toward perfection. I know it is the Holy Spirit who
works in us, who reveals Christ to us. I pray that He will touch your
heart like He touched mine.
I am so thrilled! I have been chosen by BookDaily.com to be the Featured Author of the Day! What an honor! The feature will be published in their ezine tomorrow, May 19. Here is the link to my profile page, which will be highlighted:
As a prequel to my debut on BookDaily, I thought a brief autobiography would be appropriate. Here is Part I:
God had been
trying to get my attention for a while. I was extremely stressed with my
responsibilities as principal of a private school and about the health of my
elderly parents. Some days almost seemed unbearable, working ten to twelve
hours a day and dashing to doctors and hospitals. Gradually, I developed my own
personal health concerns.
I was diagnosed
with stage four cancer, a very aggressive form that required immediate
attention. I was told over the phone, while I was still at work. I was shocked,
even though I suspected bad news. Somehow, hearing it out loud made it more
real. My first thoughts were how I would tell my family. Strangely, I also
thought about the need to write a will, not that I have much to pass on. I
believed in God with all my heart, so I wasn’t really afraid of dying, but I
worried about how my family would cope. While driving on my way home, I talked
to God. I told Him that whatever fate He chose for me, I would accept. I told
Him that whether I lived or died, I knew I had the victory. In death I would be
blessed in heaven, but if He chose to allow me to live, I would try to be a
blessing to others. Either way, I prayed that God would be glorified. From that
moment until the end of my chemotherapy and radiation treatments, I felt a
remarkable peace. My stress disappeared! Almost a year later, I was declared
free of cancer, and I was back at work, until the next time God tried to get my
attention.
After 23 years
of working for the same organization, I found myself out of a job. I felt
pierced to my soul because my work was my life. It gave my life purpose. At
that point, I did not know what God had planned for me. Compared to battling
cancer or anything else in my life, this was much more devastating to me.
Immediately, I relied on my faith. I read the Bible and talked to God, and this
time, I listened for His voice with a message for me. I felt God comforting me
and helping me to understand my circumstances, yet, for months, I did not know
what He wanted me to do. What would be my new purpose in life? I struggled with
understanding what was to come next. I sought employment without any luck.
Rather than sitting around and doing nothing, I decided to go back to school
and earn my Master’s Degree. That in itself, was quite a journey, but it gave
me a purpose.
One day, I had a
conversation with my sister. She suggested that I begin a journal to help me
determine my new direction in life. I took her advice, at first, but I found
that writing about myself did not inspire me. I decided to write about what did
inspire me, God. However, at first, I had no idea what to write about. I
thought about my own attributes. I considered myself humble and meek, but I
believed those traits to be a detriment to my professional career. I believed I
needed to be more assertive, yet I knew Christ taught us to be humble and meek.
To help me resolve the contradiction, I decided to begin writing about the
Beatitudes from Matthew 5, where Christ declared, “Blessed are those who are poor in spirt” (humble) and “Blessed are the meek.” I wanted to prove
to the world and to myself that humility and meekness are attributes we should aspire
toward in ourselves, characteristics that are valued by God. At the same time,
due to my experiences, I had become disappointed with people. I wanted to know
why so many Christians struggled with putting Christ’s teachings into practice,
including myself. So, I began writing.
