Once You Accept You Are A Writer, You Are One For Life.

Becoming A Writer

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Once You Accept You Are A Writer, You Are One For Life.

Episode 25 of Becoming A Writer podcast.

Aug 23, 2024

Transcript

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Hello, my writer friends! Rubina here. For our twenty-fifth conversation, we are going to talk about once you accept you are a writer, you are one for life.

When, in 2014, I finished reading Agatha Christie’s Curtain and was hit with the epiphany of becoming a writer, I was young and innocent.

I thought a career in fiction writing was about writing one story after another and publishing it for the world to read. I thought having a published book in my hand was the finish line.

It wasn't until a few years of self-therapy and self-discovery that I realised that wasn't the case.

Having books with my name printed on the cover is not the point. It is not the point because there is no end to a creative life and creative pursuit like Writing. A writer’s job is not done when she has written; her job is in the act of writing itself. The deal on my life was sealed when I chose writing as my profession. All there is to my life now is to write. That's my only job.

This means that becoming a writer is not a goal but a journey we travel. It is a way of life. It is a way of living. A way of experiencing, learning, falling, and getting up. It is a way of loving and forgiving. It is a way of sharing and spreading joy and love.

As a child, I looked at my classmates and thought I wasn’t talented. Most children around me had something to boast about – singing, dancing, drawing and painting, studying and getting high scores, buttering the teacher, being beautiful, being rich, being the one with most friends. I was great at being used and/or ignored. I never felt good enough to be loved.

Then I found books.

The love and attention I got from reading novels is something I will never take for granted. There was also a point in my life when I saw no use in living anymore. Then, too, novels gave me a reason to stick around. Later, self-help and personal development books showed me why it’s worth sticking around and how to do it.

I cannot not be without books. And now, I cannot not be a writer.

My feeling talentless during my childhood was a good thing because now was the time when I needed to find my talent. Now, I have the capability and the maturity to handle the responsibility of being a writer and put it to good use in service of others, not to show off or, get an extra grade or get a trophy.

The gift of Writing is bestowed on me. It is my responsibility to use it to help others see, learn, write, relax – ultimately live deeper.

It doesn't matter which genre you write in. You could be a scientist sharing your findings or a homeless man sharing your life experience. You could be a chef sharing your favourite cupcake recipe or a crime fiction novelist sharing the subtle nuances behind an imaginative murder.

When we write, we share a piece of ourselves with the world. We are sharing what we think the world needs to hear and experience.

The problem comes when we share our words clouded by ego. Thinking about the reaction our words will get, how much money we will make, or if we can go viral, we will never be able to make an impact deep enough to change lives.

Sometimes, writing is not even about changing the lives of others. Writing is more about making sense of our own lives.

What most writers, I believe, try to do is calm down the chaotic world and straighten it up on paper. And then, we share it with others, knowing that if we feel a certain way, others feel it too, and our words could help them make sense of their lives.

This means a writer needs to be the observer. This is one skill I believe we must have as writers.

Our simple job is to make sense of the world through our own lens. This means you have to be an observer of the life around you. That is where you find new ideas, connect the dots, find examples for your theories, experiment and record your results. And this practice feeds your writing.

This means a writer needs to be compassionate - towards others and themselves.

As humans, we have the innate nature of being judgmental. That's just one of our biology's ways of making sense of the world. But staying in the judgmental mental space is a choice we make. Since you are an observer of life, you must also be compassionate. We can't let our likes and dislikes cloud our observations. We need to try and see the complete range of designs that human-kaleidoscopes can make. It won't happen in one shot, but it's worth the shot.

As for ourselves, we need to be like nurturing and encouraging parents. Writing, like life, has its own ups and downs, and having our own support and being our own best friend is a gift we must give ourselves.

Therefore, taking care of ourselves is a must.

Just like athletes care for their health and the health of the pursuit, we must care for our health and our pursuit of writing. Give your body frequent breaks from sitting all day, and do something fun to move your body. Give your mind a break from all the thinking and figuring things out, and give it the joy of silence or something soothing. Give your soul a break from being on purpose all day, and let it relax into just being. And make sure to fill your inner creative well with activities and people that tickle your curiosity. It'll help you give others the same feeling through your creativity.

And finally, don't stop and don’t be afraid to try again.

Many times throughout your life, you'll question yourself and your decision to be a writer. In those moments, always remember - you wouldn't have got this dream if you didn't have what it takes to achieve it.

It may be a slow process; it may be a long process. You’ll try things and fail. You'll also try something and see it work. The point is as long as you are making the tiniest little bit of progress each day towards your writing dream; you're doing a good job. And the days when you cannot do anything, take this as the Universe's permission to take a day off and try again the next day. But don't stop.

As writers, we may not know all the answers, but we share what we know and are always looking for more.

You, as a writer, are on a journey. And you invite others to join you with your words. Think of your favourite author, and you'll know this to be true. Imagine how different your life would have been if they had never written the book that changed your life.

So imagine how your words can also take you and your readers on a similar incredible journey.

Well, that's it for today. Next time we meet, we'll talk about a silly trick that will get you into the writing mood.

Until then, keep writing, my friend.