You want to write, you know it, and you can feel it. But as soon as you even contemplate writing, your next thought is who would want to read about your mediocre life? It is hardly inspiring.
You’re really a no-body with a no-body life, living in a no-where town.
Who would want to know about the routine of your life? Or about your struggles? It’s not like they are that exceptional, or dramatic, or profound? Instead, they are ordinary and plain, like unbuttered toast. So, who would want to know?
Can I jump in and stop you right there?
Can I say that the issue isn’t what you have to say? Nor is it whether your life is exceptional enough to draw readers in their droves. Rather the central issue is that you want to write. That is all that matters.
You feel the stirring. It visits you periodically when your fences of realism are down, when your inspiration is on alert, and when your dreams have been freed to roam. Then you have these thoughts of living the writing life, of inspiring others with your words and with your experiences. You feel your heart quicken at making a difference in this world, in some small way with your words, and of living your life on purpose.
Is this person, you? Sometimes even just for the briefest of moments? Before the doubts set in.
I know this person well. I know her because she was me. And many times, she still is.
There is only one way to transition from doubting to writing. And that is to listen to your heart. Listen to those moments of writing inspiration. Embrace them and welcome them as a new friend, one that you still have to get to know. Like a friend, make space for writing in your life. It isn’t so important what you write or how you say it, what is important is that you write.
Write shopping lists if you must. Write to-do lists if that is what it takes to get you started. But let them be shopping lists of dreams, shopping lists of your heart’s desires and of what is most important in your life. Write to-do lists of what you want to achieve in this one short life of yours. Write to-do lists of ways to step into those dreams drawing them into reality.
And then write whatever comes to mind or what stirs in your heart. Just write, that is the place to start. The simplest way to do this is to start to journal. Read my blog post on journaling and how it differs from memoir writing, and get started.
Step into the writing process and once you do, trust me, everything else will follow. And when it does, you may find that what you see as your ‘hardly inspiring life’ is the key to your writing voice.
It was for me!
You can find links to my three most recent blog posts right here.
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