You Know You're a Writer When...

 

It's most likely true that most writers like journals of every size, shape, and color, just as today's poster says. One of my granddaughters is the writer of her generation in our family. I always include a journal of some kind in her Christmas gifts. Her second grade teacher had the entire class keeping a journal. Smart teacher.

What other things show that you are a writer?

You know you are a writer when an idea hits, and you can hardly wait to get home to start writing.

You know you are a writer when you get butterflies in your tummy as you submit your work for publication. 

You know you are a writer when you edit, edit again, and then one more time so you have the best piece of writing you can produce.

You know you are a writer when you haunt the calls for submission pages on facebook and other online spots.

You know you are a writer when you say no to a social invitation because you have to finish a writing project.

You know you are a writer when you carve extra time from the day to devote to writing. 

You know you are a writer when you hold your first published book in your hand.

You know you are a writer when someone asks: "What are you working on now?"

You know you are a writer when you attend a writing convention or conference and are surrounded by people who do what you do.

You know you are a writer when a rejection arrives, and you feel disappointed but are looking for a lesson to be learned.

You know you are a writer when you can revise a problem area to create a better piece of writing.

You know you are a writer when you have the need to keep reading about your craft.

You know you are a writer when writing feels satisfying.

About those journals:  I hope you keep one and seek out new ones when you shop. They're so handy for writing about our feelings and our writing life, also for jotting down story ideas. The nice thing is that they come in all sizes, colors, and even shapes just as the poster photo says. 

Writers and Words

The photo today is of a coaster that I keep on my computer desk. It's meant for a glass or cup, but it also is a fine reminder for me. It reminds me what my writing world is about. 

Writers put words on paper or screen. One word. A phrase with several words. A sentence with even more words. A paragraph made up of many words. You get the picture, I'm sure.

Yes, we writers use words every time we write. How those words are used varies from writer to writer.

One may use very ordinary words, passive verbs instead of action, no adjectives, few sensory details. Plain, not fancy, is the way this writer might describe his/her work. 

Those who 'fancy' it up a bit by using a variety of words, active verbs, occasional adjectives, and many sensory details are the writers who end up with publishable material. They are the ones who pay attention to the mechanics of writing, edit and revise until they are satisfied with the end product. 

These writers search for better words when they edit a first draft. They work at showing rather than telling. They put more time and effort into their writing than the first kind of writer cited above. 

Effort is important in our writing world. Reaching goals ranks high, as well. Improving as a writer is an all the time job. We should not be satisfied with mediocre work. Instead, we writers should always strive to move higher on our writing journey. 

And yes, those words we write should come from the heart, just as my coaster says. When the words do come from your heart, it shows in what you write. It is evident that you care about what you offer your readers.