How To Know, Become And Stay A Soul Writer For Life?
The Soul vs Social Writer Series - Part 3
In my previous essay, we discussed who a Soul Writer is and why you should be one. In this essay, we will discuss how to know you are a Soul Writer, become one and stay one for life.
How To Know You Are A Soul Writer?
As I said in my previous essay, one of the first signs of knowing you're a Soul Writer is the inspiration to become a writer falls on your lap.
Writing as a profession (or even a hobby) was never on your radar. But there came a moment (or many) when you heard your inner voice say, "Yes, I will become a writer."
I had three such moments in my life.
First, in 2006, after watching a Hindi historical fiction movie, I was urged to write the story down.
Second, in 2007. I was a novice reader then and was reading a mystery novel by a young and upcoming Indian author. I thought how fun it would be to write a novel and make my teachers and school proud.
Third, in 2014. 7th year as a reader, and while reading Agatha Christie's Curtain, it dawned on me, "Yes, I will become a writer."
This last one was the sign that made me sit up and take notice.
The other sign of knowing you're a Soul Writer is this deep urge to say something, but you don't know what to say.
During the initiation of becoming a Soul Writer, you want to speak, you want to scream, but you don't know what it is that you want to say. There will be too many things to discuss; therefore, you will feel overwhelmed. Or you'll feel there is nothing to talk about, a.k.a. the dreaded writer's block.
The only thing you know for sure is something deep and heavy on your heart and chest that you want to unload.
Being an introverted personality can also be a sign of a Soul Writer.
The extrovert personality reacts and takes action at the drop of a hat. But you, my dear introvert, are a great observer. You sit quietly and see the world with your three pairs of eyes - human eyes, mind's eyes and heart's eyes. You don't jump to conclusions. Instead, you, consciously and unconsciously, gather information and experience. And when you feel ready, and you'll know when this time comes, you'll take up that pen and write.
(Side note - If you are an INFJ and want to become a writer, you're definitely a Soul Writer.)
How To Become A Soul Writer?
Becoming a Soul Writer is not something you can force or dictate. It's called "Soul" Writer for a reason. But what you can do instead is create the right fertile environment for it to grow.
Read what interests you.
Not what bookstagram or booktok says you should read.
Every once in a while, read outside your comfort zone.
For e.g., if you're a mystery reader, try reading science fiction. This exercise aims to find out what else is out there that everyone is enjoying. You may not like that particular book, but subconsciously you'll pick up the good plot points.
Explore other interests of yours.
People like us are eccentric in nature, and it is an important characteristic for our growth as a creative. Our eccentricity can be found in our varied interests. They don't need to have a logical sense or connection. What is required is that there is something that you're absolutely curious about and love spending time figuring out. Over (a long) time, the dots start connecting and birth to a unique approach for you to write in and live your life by.
Fill your inner creative well.
We don't create art in thin air. We get inspired by each other. And for that to happen, you need to indulge in the art created by others. Read books. Watch movies. Take that painting class. Read a book by a writer who is sharing their writing experience. Spend time with people younger and older than you and listen to what they have to share. Listen to songs and music which touch you somewhere in your heart.
Deep dive into your favourite writers and other creatives.
You want to become a writer because there was a book you read and fell so completely in love with it that you want to recreate that feeling for yourself. The book's writer is the middleman/middlewoman between you and your creativity. Read their back catalogue and do so to learn the craft of writing. Your favourite writers and creatives are your mentors (dead/alive) and are the best teachers for you.
Have a "Let's see what happens" attitude.
Being a Soul Writer means you are like water. You flow with the flow and see where it takes you. And you do so with the belief and faith that wherever it takes, you will work in your favour.
"Robots in Ancient Egypt? Let's see what happens."
"A 300-year-old vampire who works as a history professor? Let's see what happens."
"An introverted spirit falling in love with the person who wrote her obituary? Let's see what happens."
You may not end up writing the book, but when you give such subtle creative nudges a shot, you will discover how deep your creativity goes.
And you never know, in the future, there may be a demand for a science fiction novel with robots in Ancient Egypt, and guess who has a 20-page outline about it? You!
How To Stay A Soul Writer?
While the above points will help you become and stay a Soul Writer, there are five more things you need to keep in mind to stay a Soul Writer for life.
Don't restrict your creative flow.
You're mistaken if you think you can control every aspect of your writing process. You shouldn't even try that. For e.g., It's good to have an outline to know where you want your novel to go. But, while writing the novel, if the plot or characters want to take you in a different direction, don't stop it. Continue exploring and see where it takes you. (Again, "Let's see what happens.")
One of the most wonderful perks of being a writer in the word processor age is you can always go back and delete or add words. So even after exploring, if you don't feel the scene sitting right, you can always delete it. But when the creative flow wants to check out a different direction than what you had in mind, don't restrict it.
Don't let the market dictate what you write.
Since you are a writer, you also are a reader. So you know the various kinds of books are available for various kinds of readers. And the genre you want to write it? You unconsciously know what makes or breaks it. So when you sit to write your book, don't worry about what the market wants.
The market didn't know it needed a Harry Potter, nor did JK Rowling research the market to see which book would sell well. She followed her creative nudge to write the story of this wizard boy.
When you write your book, forget about the market. Instead, focus on telling the story you want to say.
Keep your inner critic away from your work always.
The inner critic is rude and loves showing off how knowledgeable it is. It gives off this impression that it knows best how to write a book, but it never has the guts to write one. If you let it have a go at your work, your inner critic will murder your work and your self-worth.
What you want instead is the inner mentor. The inner mentor cares about you and respects your hard work. It knows you have room for improvement and will encourage and guide you. The inner mentor will tell you what's best for you and your work and congratulate you on your victories.
Keep your inner editor away from your writing.
How would you feel if someone stood by your side and stopped you to correct every sentence you write? You'd get irritated. That is how your creativity feels when you let the inner editor stand on its head.
Writing a book is a different job skill than editing a book. That, by definition, means the two tasks should be tackled at separate times. Most writers fail to do so.
Many of us will write a couple of sentences and then go back and edit them until it seems perfect to us. By doing so, you are repeatedly turning the tap of creative flow on and off, trying to catch it and give it shape mid-air. Instead, turn on the tap of the creative flow completely. Let yourself write freely and without judgement and ifs & buts.
Once you have written what wanted to come out of you, then (and only) then does your inner editor gets a chance to work at it.
Remove the word "hustle" from your dictionary.
Creativity is play with purpose. That means you need to let it flow with a sense of direction. If you hustle in your creative endeavours, you are pushing it, forcing it, over-working it. If you are too hard on your creativity to write 2000 words daily, it'll have a mental breakdown and will take months, in some cases years, to come back into the writing mood.
Your job as a Soul Writer is to show up at the keyboard. Then let creativity decide how much and for how long it wants to write. Just because you wrote fewer words than yesterday doesn't mean it was a bad day. Not all days are the same; therefore, not all results will be the same.
Also, please don't force your creativity to come up with ideas quickly and write and publish them as soon as possible to satisfy your ego.
Creative ideas and projects need time to mature. Some will take more time than others, but that's exactly what they need. So don't be too strict or too lazy about it. Keep working on your project at a steady, sustainable pace, and let the final result show up when it's ready.
The Soul vs Social Writer Series -
Which Kind Of Writer Are You? - A Soul Writer Or A Social Writer?
What Does It Mean To Be A Soul Writer?
How To Know, Become And Stay A Soul Writer?
What Does It Mean To Be A Social Writer?