As of today, I am knee deep into my current WIP. Also, I am knee deep into a lot of other things, like finishing up my bachelor’s degree, basically surviving, working toward paying for said bachelor’s degree, and many, many other tasks. But I think the one thing that drives me is continuously building the muscle that is writing and exercising my creativity, which I have come to learn is a skill that needs to constantly grow, despite the progress being monumental or trivial. In this post today, I wanted to discuss some things I’ve learned, processed, and enjoyed since getting more and more entuned with my personal process of writing.
Being a writer involves writing. (This is a basic step.)
I write everyday. I do this because this is something I must do. I am not at all trying to be pretentious, but if I am not working on writing creatively, I am journaling or because of my studies, writing something for school. I have a diary where I document everything from small to big things, including initial writing ideas, to huge decisions in my life.
One thing I cherish is the ability to develop my own unique writing process. I have been writing regularly since 2018, and it has been a challenge, because with the rise of language learning models like ChatGPT, it is easy to plagarize, steal and shortcut the very important process of working on a project long term. For me, a part of the writing habit is expanding those so called “stupid” and “trivial” ideas. I do my best not to label those small ideas as such, because they all play a big part eventually. Recently, I have even discovered that writing has played a big part with my emotional regulation. So, when it comes to the writing, I do my best to prioritize it as much as I can.
Being a writer involves appreciating art.
Writing is a form of art. It’s about creating something and making something that was once thoughts, a collection of words that can be felt, envisioned and read.
I try to take a lot of time to read books—fiction and non-fiction—to support other writers, as well as going to art museums, reading people’s blogs and websites, and even buying music to listen to on my iPod (yes, I have returned to the ancient times and have purchased an iPod.) I use Spotify for playlists for songs I like and also curate playlists for current works in progress.
Being a writer involves taking a break.
I know for sure that next week when this post goes up, I will be busy celebrating my 29th birthday, so I have no projects scheduled for that week. (July 27th to July 31st.) Of course, I will still make sure my writing habit is taken care of, because I still will be journaling my wonderful experiences during my birthday for me to reflect on later. I also plan to work on a new puzzle, and buying more while I’m out sightseeing, as well as continuing to learn Spanish through Duolingo.
Being a writer involves being yourself.
I recently penned a diary entry about me comparing myself to a celebrity I admire. I wrote “[name of celebrity] has been raised a Christian her entire life. Her parents taught her since she was a child that her and her sister were made in God’s image and also taught her how to be responsible despite her shortcomings. She’s been living that life for a long time. Me, on the other hand, am just a beginner. I have been around for 11 years, and to be honest, I am just starting to understand some concepts. Compared to her 33 years of learning these things. So there’s no way I can continue to compete and compare with her.“
I recently got some clarification on this a bit ago, but I think this can be applied to writing as well. Every writer is different. I cannot write poems the way Michael Jackson or Edgar Allen Poe did. but what I can do is continuously write about everything and anything and grow my gift, in the unique and special way that God has blessed me to express it.
So, when you think about your own writing, think about you. In a diary post I wrote in 2015, I included these words: “I read some articles on editing and publishing today, and I must admit; I did get scared. “Writing,” one article says, “is only the beginning.” I am anticipating it to be very stressful, repetitive and nerve-wrecking, but I honestly want to go through this! I’ll get scared, but I’m sure I’ll have fun!!” I was definitely right about the process being scary and nerve-wracking, but at the end of the day, i get to discover the type of writer I am and will always grow to become.
How do you write? Feel free to leave a comment below!
Further reading:
a copy of Shitty First Drafts (a great resource for just starting!)
The Young Writer’s Handbook (this book is old, but it has timeless wisdom!)
Shanedra Writes Too Much 