Pursuing the Path To Good Writing

 

Can you remember when you first gave thought to entering the writing world? When did the idea of writing become a trickle that turned into t stream that led to a rushing river of the desire to write? 

For most of you, those initial thoughts occurred a long time ago. Maybe even too long for you to remember the details. For me, it happened back in grade school. I loved Reading and English best in school. Anything about books and writing essay papers appealed to me. As a fourth-grader, I remember an assignment to write a short story, and I was elated while some of my classmates groaned. My passion for writing came early, but I didn't pursue writing anything more than high school and college essays for a very long time. I wanted to but allowed Life to get in my way. College, Teaching, Marriage, Raising Children--all those took priority over doing something for myself. 

When my children became independent adults, I decided it was time to give writing a try. By this time, I was in my mid-fifties which is long past the time most writers begin. The path to getting published wasn't smooth and easy. That didn't deter me because the more I wrote, the more I wanted to keep on with this new hobby of mine.

Was I a good writer from the onset? Absolutely not. I had ideas for stories and personal essays. That part came easily, but when I tried to transfer those thoughts to print, I showed the colors of a beginner. Nothing major. Little things like the 'unnecessary words' yesterday's post highlighted tripped me up over and over. 

I overcame many of those small glitches by reading multiple books about writing and joining writing groups and attending writing conferences. I listened and learned little by little. Today, I am a much better writer. I have been published many times which would not have happened if I had stayed in the Beginning Writer stage. I am still learning. I believe that the learning stage never stops but goes on and on. 

It's not a terrible thing to make a lot of writing mistakes early on. It happens to almost all new writers. The important thing is that we make an effort to learn what the problems are and to correct them. Joining a writing group where you can have your work critiqued is one of the best ways I know to grow as a writer. 

Today's poster gives the indication that the road to success in writing is most likely a long one. If you keep the candle of desire to write lit, you'll be able to traverse that path overcoming the little problems along the way.