Do you dream of being a published writer? An award-winning writer? A best-selling writer? Perhaps your dreams aren’t as grand. Perhaps all you want is to finish your book, hold it in your hands and know that you’re an author.
The dream is always the end result, isn’t it? To be published. To have written.
Becoming a writer is about becoming conscious. When you’re conscious and writing from a place of insight and simplicity and real caring about the truth, you have the ability to throw the lights on for your reader. He or she will recognize his or her life and truth in what you say …
- Anne Lamott Bird by Bird
No one dreams about the countless hours you need to put in to develop your craft. No one dreams about the endless struggles with self-doubt, those moments you stare at your screen and think, ‘Why am I even putting myself through this?’ No one dreams of the headache-inducing weeks spent untangling misbehaving plots or the hours and hours of drafting and re-drafting until you’re not even sure what language your book is written in anymore.
But these are the things that will get you to where you want to be.
These are the things that are hard. Often, you won’t want to do them. You won’t want to sit at your computer for days on end, knowing that what you’re producing is as good as this woman’s attempt at fine art.
That’s not the dream. Dreams are shimmery, glittery and not a part of reality.
Having a writing dream is irrelevant to whether you’ll become a successful writer. In fact, if you focus too much on the dream – the un-graspable, un-real – it could hinder you in your true pursuit.
In those immortal words of Dr. Frank-N-Furter:
Don’t dream it. Be it.
Be the writer who sits down, every week or every day, and writes.
Be the writer who reads books and takes courses on craft.
Be the writer who spends dedicated time thinking, exploring and planning.
Be the writer who is prepared to draft, draft and draft again.
Be the writer who battles their confidence demons – and wins.
Be the writer who puts in the work.
Be the writer who finishes what they start.
Be the writer who develops a body of work.
Be the writer who sends stuff out, gets rejected and keeps going.
Be the writer who publishes work that makes them proud.
Be the writer who doesn’t need to dream.
Want to stop dreaming and start doing?
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photo credit: Luftslottet via photopin (license)
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