On Writing, Ideas, and Making a Difference
The first time I realized the impact of my words, I was six years old. I called my mom a #@$%**. I spent the rest of the evening with a bar of soap in my mouth.
The second time I understood how powerful speech could be, I was thirteen. I told Mom she was a piece of $#!^ and that she could go straight to #*%%. I believe once again I had a healthy supper of Dove and Zest.
How exactly does a writer who doesn’t love the actual process of writing “just get started”? How, specifically, do you get past that first hurdle?
Professional writers are constant writers.
But what is constant writing?
It will happen. Eventually. You’ll do something you love, and after awhile, you’ll forget why you started. You’ll build a platform that’s successful, and it won’t matter. Because you’ll resent the thing that brought you so much attention.
You’ll find yourself writing for the approval of others and no longer satisfied with your craft. You will feel trapped. But this is not the end. It’s just the beginning. You’ve yet to create your best work. To live a life that inspires others.
Everyone wants to be extraordinary, but no one wants to be unpopular. Everyone wants to be a genius, but no one wants to be called a nerd. Everyone wants to be outstanding, but no one’s willing to stand out.
Earning the attention you deserve will be the hardest, scariest, most grueling thing you do. But it will also be the most rewarding.
What do we do when the world isn’t listening? This is the question every communicator and leader has to face at some point.
What we want to do is get louder. To pull out the bullhorn. Shout from the rooftops.
In reality, we need to do the opposite.
The problem with online friendship is that when things go wrong we split. When I say something that makes you uncomfortable, or when you offend me, we’ll go our separate ways — more often than not.
And this flies in the face of how people actually become friends.
Not too long ago, I was traveling and came across a rude flight attendant. This woman was clearly tired and jaded about her job. She was curt with passengers, responding to drink requests with a quick reply: “Yes, I heard you the first time.” And more than once, I overheard her complaining to another attendant.
The experience left a mark on me. Nobody likes being around people who hate their jobs. We all need to learn to love what we do, or go work somewhere. I really don’t see an alternative.
I was reading a blog the other day that kind of depressed me. The writing was pretty mediocre, and it didn’t have to be.
The post was rife with typos, bad vocabulary, poor grammar, and passive voice. The content was pretty vanilla, too.
Sure, it was simple and conversational, as most blogs are. But nothing grabbed me. It was something you would read and then likely soon forget.
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It’s that terribly famous word we all hate to hear, when it comes to getting published: “No.”
Everyone likes to get her way. But what happens when you don’t?
Ten months ago, I submitted my book proposal to a publisher. While I waited to hear back from them, I kept writing. Then I heard those awful words.
