What does it mean to write?
Writing is simply an outward display of your inner thoughts; as you think, so you should write. A witty mind always reveals itself through its written words. In other words, everyone can write. Yes, that’s right – everyone can write, irrespective of what you may have studied – or didn't study – in school. As long as you can think coherent, clear thoughts, you can also write.
So why do people think writing is for special people? Well, you can say story-telling is for 'special' people who've mastered the ability to craft engaging words that capture their audience. This takes special education such as Creative Writing, Journalism, Communication or Public Relations. However, you don’t have to be a story-teller to be an effective writer. Effective writing is for anyone who can think clearly and logically, and can vocalize their thoughts in correct and complete sentences. It's the fear of what and how to write – and also not finding the time for it -- that prevents us from attempting to write. My question is, if we’re not afraid to think, then why are we afraid to write?
Again, the secret to writing effectively, or even writing at all, is to write exactly as you think. You can re-structure and edit the words later – simply focus on creating that first draft. No writing starts off perfect; infact, every first draft is always a big mess. I guarantee you every work we've read to this today – whether articles, academics or books – didn't start off as flawless or accurate. It’s okay to be a messy writer, just don’t have that messy writing as your final draft. Clean it up well and thoroughly – either by editing it yourself or hiring an editor to do it for you.
If you've always wanted to write but somehow you let that dream go or just figured you couldn't do it, then I’m telling you that YES, you can. You really can.
Dedicate some time to write.
30 minutes each day, that’s all you really need to begin your writing journey. You can choose either early morning before you head out to work, in the afternoon during a quiet time, or late evening when you're done all your day's work. Using myself as an example, I've never been a morning person, so all my writing happens late at night when the world is fast asleep. Sometimes when I begin, I have nothing specific to write on, I simply write anything that comes to mind, perhaps about events that occurred that day, or just about anything. What you’re writing shouldn't matter at first, what matters is that you're actually writing.
Writing gives you an epiphany.
It reveals a side of you that perhaps you didn't know you had – maybe a sense of humor that's never showed up until you dug deep and began writing your thoughts. Writing isn't rocket science like everyone thinks it is; it’s like thinking out loud, but on paper. Anyone who can think logically can write anything they want.
Pick up that pen today, and start writing. Trust me, you can do it. More important, trust yourself that you can do it.
Yep, you can.
