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.

Realizing A Dream

Happy Grad

We had the great joy of attending our oldest granddaughter's graduation from Southern Methodist University in Dallas this past week-end. That's Alexis beaming as she departs the stage where she picked up her degree folder. Graduating from SMU was a dream of hers when she was in high school.

While her friends applied to several universities, she sent in the application to only one. Being accepted at SMU would not be a given. She knew that. In fact, they probably turn away far more applicants than they can accept. Even so, she believed in herself and her dream. 

The acceptance arrived in the middle of her senior year in high school. To say she was elated is definitely an understatement. She counted the days until it was time to move to a dorm on campus in the fall.

Alexis wanted to be a writer but she figured out pretty quickly that she'd need another job to support herself and would write on the side. She majored in English with Creative Writing as a special interest. She took Journalism classes and wrote for the university newspaper. She joined a sorority, danced on the Pom Squad at football and basketball games for two years, was president of the Golden Key Club. This next semester, she will be a student teacher in an 8th grade level at a middle school in the Dallas area and then on to graduate school. 

As I watched the graduation ceremony Saturday, my joy in seeing her realize her dream knew no bounds. And yes, this grandmother did shed some tears. I knew that the dream had not come easy. There were funds to be found for 4 years at a private school, lots of hard studying, keeping up with other parts of college life and more. She didn't waver but persisted to make that dream come true. 

I thought about how often I have urged writers who read this blog to persevere if they want the dream of seeing their work published come to fruition. We doubt ourself at times and that's only natural when you're in a job where you get rejected more often than you get accepted. Sometimes we writers must push ourselves to keep motivated and to follow our dream. Alexis did that and her dream has been realized. I have no doubt that she'll pursue that next dream of teaching English and becoming a writer with the same attitude she's had these past four years. 

Young Graduates Harbor Dreams

This is our second oldest granddaughter who lives in Dallas. She graduated Saturday with the other 1052 members of her class. Yes, that number is correct. She attended a large suburban high school. And yes, they all walked across a stage to receive their diploma as their name was called. We were delighted to be able to be there for her big day. Her long-loved bear is wearing an Arkansas t-shirt, which is where she is going to college.

We listened to short speeches by the Class President, Salutatorian and Valedictorian. It made me smile when one of them referenced Dr. Seuss books and another one based the speech on the Wizard of Oz. Books! Books that meant something to them. They all talked about the hard work done over a 13 year period and about the dreams of what might be ahead for each graduate. First, either entering the work force or heading off to college for further education, the next step in realizing their goals. 

It made me think about the dreams of the very young. How many do come true? How many work hard enough to make sure their dream comes true? How many will not pursue the dream with intensity and regret it later? 

As writers, we all have dreams, too. Dreams of being a success in the writing world. It doesn't matter if you started  when you finished high school or college or whether it was 30 years later. The important part is how you pursued your dream. How many times were you ready to give up but soldiered on? How often did you weigh writing time vs social time and skipped merrily off into the social world? 

We know that those big goals of a high school grad get sidetracked for various reasons. Our writing goals get pushed aside at times, too. Very often, it's for valid reasons, not just our yen to be a social butterfly. Life tends to set up roadblocks that we must either jump over and skirt around somehow. I know from experience that it doesn't always happen as quickly as we'd like. For me, it took many years to realize my dream of being a published writer because I allowed life to get in the way. But it did happen. 

Key to reaching our goal includes these things-- determination, perseverance, faith in yourself. There are others as well. Patience is one. Pure grit is another. 

Nothing happens if you sit around and wait for it to rain success from the sky. All those graduates we saw on Saturday worked hard for a dozen plus years to achieve the status of graduate. It was not always easy. The work was harder for some than others. So it is with we who write. It's easier for some writers to get published than others. With a few, it's pure luck but for others, it means they've worked very hard to become a published writer, It doesn't matter if that first publication is in a small local newspaper or a nationwide venue of some kind. Do it once and you'll know you can do it again. 

In some ways, I envied those young people Saturday for they had a lifetime ahead of them with great possibilities if they work hard. On second thought, it made me grateful that I'd moved past that period and had achieved some of my dreams. How about you?