Be A Writer Who Stands Out

 

Did you know that the name for a group of penguins on land is called a 'waddle?' They are also referred to as a 'colony,' a 'huddle,' and a 'rookery.' If the penguins are in the water, then one refers to them as a 'raft.' A bit of trivia for your weekend! 

Look at the photo. That waddle doesn't have much individuality to it. One penguin looks pretty much like another. How does that compare to a group of artists known as writers? In some respects, we do all look alike. We have arms, legs, heads, ears, eyes, a nose, and a mouth. As writers, we each have our own characteristics. Maybe the penguins do, too, but we don't see it in the photo. We do see it in us as we produce our stories, essays, articles, and poems.

What if I showed you a photo of a large group of writers standing side by side? Would you be able to pick out the ones that have distinguished themselves by looking at the picture? Probably not, unless we included some famous writers whom you would recognize. 

How are you going to be the writer to stand out among the crowd of people plying the same craft that you do? What are you going to do to make people remember your writing? There are some who would dress in an unusual way to stand out in the crowd. Would that indicate the quality of their writing? No. Some would be the one to monopolize a group conversation. That wouldn't indicate the strength of their writing ability. You might notice one of the writers hiding behind the others, not wanting to be seen. Would that tell you the kind of writer that person is? None of the above will tell you the quality of the person as a writer.

What are you going to do to outshine the others in the group of writers? A writer's goal is to write well enough to be published multiple times. What the guy next to you wears or does is worth nothing for your own writing world. You need to work at being a better writer every single day. Not just on Mondays or Fridays but every day. 

Keep these things in mind:

• Read about your craft frequently
• Write on a daily basis.
• Join writing critique groups. 
• Converse with other writers on a regular basis. 
• Study writer guidelines at many publications or publishing houses. 
• Reach deep into yourself when you write; don't write on the surface and ignore what is within you. 
• Increase your vocabulary. 
• Look for ways to make your writing stand out among others who write in the same genre
• Feed your passion for writing in every way you can
• Do your best every day

If you achieve all of the above, your writing will grow stronger with each new project. Use the above as a checklist. Which ones do you accomplish on a regular basis? Which do you need to work on? 

Do what you can to stand out rather than be a cloned-looking penguin in a waddle, or a huddle, or a rookery or a colony. (How can they have so many names?)