Daily Inspiration: Nada to Novelist
For a little over a year now I’ve had this idea tickling around in my head for a blog called “Nada to Novelist” (I’m a sucker for alliteration) where I post daily on the things I do to move my writing goals forward everyday.
It’s a way to hold myself accountable. A way to inspire you if you are so inclined to read a post like this.
Why am I qualified to write such a post? A little background: Approximately three years ago I had an epiphany (Read: Mid-life crisis) I was sitting at my writing desk—for about the third time over the past 365 days—and suddenly realized no one became a writer by accident. No publishers were going to call me and beg me to finish my novel. (At that point I had about twenty scenes scribbled into various notebooks that spent most days laying around the house collecting dust.) Exactly nothing was going to happen if I didn’t take some serious strides to becoming a writer. I didn’t have the first idea how to get started.
So , , ,I googled it.
I came across ‘How to Write a Book in 100 days’ hosted by The Write Practice. (They are not paying me to write this. There are literally thousands of ways to get started as a writer this is just the way that I did it.) That program gave me many benefits: I met other writers who were encouraging, generous with their time, critiques and praise. But most of all I finally developed a habit or writing regularly. And that my friend is the key.
I know you have heard this advice before.
No one makes you a writer. You decide you are a writer when you sit down and write.
There’s one sure way to improve/learn your craft and that is to write. Alternatively, there’s one way to ensure you don’t improve and that is to avoid writing, place other priorities above it.
The question is. . . What are you doing about it?
What you do today matters. We don’t need an entire blog to tell you to sit down and write. That being said it can be hugely beneficial to small daily reminders that your dreams will never be realized if you don’t get up and do something about it. So I would like to encourage you to take the first, next step today. However small. Find a program that helps you write. Invest a little money in it (we place more value on programs/initiatives we have invested in financially.) Look for one where the end goal is a finished draft—whether it be your first draft or your thirteenth. You need to move the marker to the next level. Then when that program is complete, sign up for another. Nothing makes us happier than progress toward our goals. Trust me when I say you will not regret the money you spent or the time. If I’m wrong and you do, maybe writing isn’t for you. That’s okay. It’s good information to have. Clearing out space for your other passions. Maybe you like to make bread or beaded necklaces. Maybe one day you’ll come back to writing. But whatever you choose to do, choose to do it today.
Happy Writing!