Elaina M. Avalos
I tend to think of writing as a calling. If you are a writer, I think you know that. You may not call yourself a writer. You may not be writing (yet). I didn't for far too long. But deep down, you know it's who you are. I think you know it's part of your very being.
Because I tend to think that way, I would say that my best advice is to write when you can and write what you can. Don't worry about what -
just write. Read as much as you can in the genre you hope to write in. Read books by writers that inspire you. There are countless books on the technical aspects of writing. Those are good resources. But, two of my favorite books likely aren't on any list of "must-reads" for aspiring writers. Those books are, "If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence and Spirit" by Brenda Ueland and "My Life in France" by Julia Child and Alex Prud'homme.
So why does a book by Julia Child inspire me as a writer? Julia Child found her calling later in life. But once she found it, she went after it with such passion and joy. I find this spirit of joy, creativity, and passion very inspiring. Julia Child's fascination with her craft and the way in which she pursued it, can inspire anyone. But for the artists among us, I think it speaks to the very heart of pursing your passions and calling, with joy and abandon.
I think coming to that point is critical as a writer. There are a lot of "experts" out there who will holler at you (through social media in particular) about what you need to do as a writer. They will talk at you about platforms, marketing, and SEO. That all has its time and place. But first, before all of that, you need to know who you are as a writer. You need to find what inspires you and chase after it.
The business side of writing has its time and place, too. But before you get there . . . write. Before you get there, cultivate your own voice and write what is in you to write. Once you've been able to do that, you'll have time for the rest.
Because I tend to think that way, I would say that my best advice is to write when you can and write what you can. Don't worry about what -
just write. Read as much as you can in the genre you hope to write in. Read books by writers that inspire you. There are countless books on the technical aspects of writing. Those are good resources. But, two of my favorite books likely aren't on any list of "must-reads" for aspiring writers. Those books are, "If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence and Spirit" by Brenda Ueland and "My Life in France" by Julia Child and Alex Prud'homme.
So why does a book by Julia Child inspire me as a writer? Julia Child found her calling later in life. But once she found it, she went after it with such passion and joy. I find this spirit of joy, creativity, and passion very inspiring. Julia Child's fascination with her craft and the way in which she pursued it, can inspire anyone. But for the artists among us, I think it speaks to the very heart of pursing your passions and calling, with joy and abandon.
I think coming to that point is critical as a writer. There are a lot of "experts" out there who will holler at you (through social media in particular) about what you need to do as a writer. They will talk at you about platforms, marketing, and SEO. That all has its time and place. But first, before all of that, you need to know who you are as a writer. You need to find what inspires you and chase after it.
The business side of writing has its time and place, too. But before you get there . . . write. Before you get there, cultivate your own voice and write what is in you to write. Once you've been able to do that, you'll have time for the rest.
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