writingI write.

Everyone writes.

What’s wrong with writing?

Some people write and they don’t even know it. They keep a journal, jot down notes, make a shopping list, scribble a poem on the back of a cocktail napkin. It doesn’t matter.

Any effort to place pen-to-paper is a noble effort to create something different for the sake of one’s own comfort.

We don’t write so we can make money or become famous. If we wanted to make money, there are plenty of doctoral programs out there for that.

If we wanted to achieve fame, there’s plenty of “silly “YouTubers that do that just by uploading whatever drivel they come up with. (Looking at you, PewDePie.)

We write because we have something to say and there’s no way to get it out better than by filling that proverbial blank page.

Writing is hard though, when we’re writing for a particular audience. That’s why you shouldn’t worry about catering to a specific crowd or group of people.

Just let your ideas flow and the rest will take care of itself.

Some of the best authors in history didn’t care what others thought of their work.

Ernest Hemmingway, Samuel Beckett, David Foster Wallace, and J.K. Rowling. They just wrote for themselves and the rest came naturally.

Okay, okay.

So writing can be hard when writing for yourself too. Because you want to place everything out there in a neat and orderly fashion, otherwise it’s going to look like a dictionary threw up on a sheet of paper.

One of the most frequent pieces of advice when it comes to writing, from well-versed authors, is to read.

The more you read, the more you’ll understand the structure of writing.

It’s not even a conscious thing. As you’re reading, without realizing it, you’re learning something about the way stories and prose are structured.

It’s really neat how influential reading can be on your own writing. Find out who inspires you and who writes novels or stories the way you want your stories to be.

When I write, I feel like I’m creating worlds and exploring new places, even if my story is centered in the real world.

The world you create on paper may represent somewhere or something real, but ultimately, everything is given the blessing of your imagination.

There are very few forms of art that boast that kind of power.

When a character is being rounded out for development, it just feels so great to know that you’re in control.

When the scene you’ve just written flows steady and consistent like a river, you’re just in awe of what you’ve created.

It’s how a painter feels when they can finally step back and admire their finished work.

Or how a poet feels at the end of a reading. With writing, it can take just a little longer to get the reward of satisfaction from having finished your project, but the end result is the ultimate rush.

Keep moving forward with your project, or start one if you’ve been thinking about it, and just see what you can create with the tip of your fingers.