For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a published author.
Sure, there were other aspirations peppered in—professional dancer, political journalist, artist, singer—but I always returned to writing.
At 3 years old, I “published” my own books, illustrated in my charming-yet-disturbing manner only a toddler can achieve.
By 14, I’d completed my first novel, and at 19, I’ve written four novels, several short stories and many works that will never see the light of day.
Along the way, I’ve learned techniques that have helped me write better stories, but I’ve also learned lessons that can be applied to more than just fiction.
- You have the capability to make something from nothing.
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When I sit down to write, it’s just me and the blank page, and I have to make something happen.
I can do research, plan my plot points and have an idea of what my characters should do, but none of that can entirely prepare me for the act of writing.
Nobody is there to help me, and nobody can write my words for me, so if I want to create something, I have to do it myself.
Despite any anxieties I may have, I write, and at the end of the day, I’m left with words and a part of a story that didn’t exist before.
It’s gratifying, to say the least. It’s hard to remember, sometimes, that we have this ability. But everyone has original thoughts and ideas, whether it be art, music or a business-related.
Allow yourself to engage with this capability. Even if it feels strange, challenge yourself to make something new.
- Doing something is better than doing nothing.
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For me, it’s easy to let my writing fall aside when confronted with a busy schedule.
I like to sit down with an iced coffee and spend an extended time on my writing, but that just isn’t possible with my schedule the way it is. In the past, when in this situation, I shut down and didn’t write at all; of course, my novel stagnated.
I’ve come to the recent realization that doing something is absolutely better than doing nothing. Instead of abandoning my writing on busy days, I find twenty minutes to work on my book.
I don’t knock out complete chapters, but I put down sentences, and eventually those sentences become paragraphs, and those paragraphs become chapters.
This can be applied to other activities besides writing. If you don’t have enough energy for a full workout, try to go for a walk. If you can’t bring yourself to study for your exam for hours, read over your notes for at least one. These little steps can amount to long strides.
- Hard work always, always, always beats natural talent in the long run.
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I know there are better writers than me—I could take up a lot of pages listing them.
There will always be better writers than me, no matter where my books take me.
This is something I learned a long time ago: you can’t guarantee that you’ll always be the smartest person in the room, but you can guarantee that you’re the hardest worker.
Generally, I’ve found that the people who succeed are the people who put in the work every day and persist; they accept criticism, work through edits and stay optimistic. Adopting this attitude has helped me succeed in school as well.
Many times, students were accustomed to being the smartest person at their high school, but that isn’t the case when they get to college. Learning to set aside your ego and value hard work will lead to more success than you think.
- It’s okay to take breaks.
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Burnout is real.
When I’m working hard on multiple things, sometimes it feels like I don’t even know how to think, and this feeling only intensifies when I try to write. What am I doing here? I think. Do I even know how to write? What if I’ve forgotten how to write? What if I’m never able to finish this chapter?
Of course, those thoughts aren’t true, but to my tired, strung-out brain, they sure feel real.
In the past, I tried to fight through burnout, but I’ve learned to step back when I feel like this and take a break.
At first, I thought I was wasting time, but I’ve found that after my breaks, I come back to my story much more productive. With productivity culture so prominent in colleges, it’s important to remember that it’s okay to take time for yourself and do nothing—watch Netflix, take a walk, nap, but don’t work. Breaks are better than pushing through in the long run.
- Not yet is not the same as never.
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Ultimately, my goal is to traditionally publish my novels, which is an extremely long path that doesn’t finish with writing The End in my book.
I’ve had a few successes, but I’ve had many more rejections, as most writers have. That doesn’t mean I’ll never get published—it just hasn’t happened yet. I’ve learned to say when I get published rather than if I get published, because for me, it’s a matter of time.
Everyone has long term goals, so the trick is believing in them. Even when discouraged, don’t say, this will never happen. It will—you only have to be patient and give yourself time.
- Inspiration is everywhere. Take notice of your surroundings.
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It’s easy to live in a haze, focusing on your own issues and challenges. It’s easy to ignore nuances and oversimplify things.
After reading advice from one of my favorite authors, Maggie Stiefvater, I realized that to improve my writing, I had to live in the moment more.
I couldn’t believe what I noticed.
When I went on jogs, I observed trees and how sunlight streamed through the branches; I started noticing little things about my friends and family, like the types of meals they ate while particularly happy or sad and their frequent habits.
While these things have made my writing more real, it also made me a more attentive, compassionate person. Observe the people and environment around it—you’ll be a better person for it.
- Words have power. You have power.
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The world has become increasingly STEM-focused—something I’ve heard many times as an English major.
We can’t discount words and stories, though. Through stories, I feel powerful.
I can share my ideas and thoughts; I can generate emotional reactions and attachments.
I have a voice, as cheesy as it sounds, and that voice extends beyond the page.
I can bring the power and confidence that writing gives me to other aspects of my life.
The biggest takeaway should be to find something that makes you feel as if you have agency.
For me, that’s writing, but it really can be anything—and once you find it, it feels like coming home.