Are You a Writer?
What makes a writer? Some people say you can’t really call yourself a writer until you are published. In this era where self-publishing abounds, and anyone can publish as often as they want simply by writing a blog post (ahem…) that seems to be rather an arbitrary designation. If it means “making a living from your writing” many published-by-others writers would fall short.
I say that what matters is: do you write? Not just think about writing, or tell people you’ll get around to writing that book someday. Is writing a regular habit for you? Do you make time for it on a daily, or near-daily basis? Do you read as much as, or more than you write – and actually think about what you’re reading, in terms of how it works (or doesn’t) for the reader’s experience on the page? Do you think of lots of ideas for whatever you write (stories, essays, etc.), and maybe even have a notebook or some other means of writing them down?
Only you get to decide whether or not you call yourself a writer, and everyone’s criteria will be a little different. But too many clients (or potential clients) get close to coaching and then balk: I’m not a real writer. I can’t put in the time right now because… (fill in the blank). I want to write my novel someday when my life is perfect and I have my perfect schedule and someone has anointed me a Real Writer. I get it. I really do. It’s tough to make time for an activity that usually doesn’t make us any money (and may never), that no one is waiting for, that seems so low on the totem pole of life’s daily demands.
But if you are a writer, you write. You make it a priority. Few of us have the luxury of unlimited writing time, in a cabin in the woods or a cabana on the beach. We have a million distractions pulling at us – paid jobs, other people, commitments of all kinds. Some people don’t have support of any kind to write, social or financial. Whatever you are waiting for, stop waiting. The dream reality may never materialize. Instead, make writing a non-negotiable habit, like brushing your teeth.
Ugh, but it’s so unglamorous! Yep, that’s right. Butt in chair, on a daily or near-daily basis, is most often not glamorous. But it doesn’t have to be an onerous burden, either. I tell my clients to set aside 15 minutes a day, preferably at the same time every day. It’s hard to argue with 15 minutes. Set a timer. After 15 minutes, you have permission to get up and do something else, with the empowering thought that you’ve done it! High-five. You’ve already put in more time than many other would-be writers.
But, you argue, 15 minutes is hardly enough time to do anything! Here’s the secret: what you do in that 15 minutes a day will surprise you. You can write a draft of a poem. You can write half a page of prose (or more if you’re fast). You can sketch out a character, or the next scene of your novel. It adds up. The Japanese have a term for this: kaizen, or making small, continuous improvements to effect change.
The other secret is: soon you’ll find 15 minutes isn’t enough. You’ll start to sneak an extra 5 minutes in here, an extra 10 there. Maybe you’ll really get cooking and allow yourself a whole hour to work on a project now and then. Once you start looking for time, you will make it happen because you want to. And you can always go back to the 15 minutes whenever you need to. I’ve squeezed in 15 minutes before bedtime, 15 minutes in the ER with my mother, 15 minutes between meetings at work… although as I’ve mentioned, it is better to have a set time, we all have times when schedules are thrown out the window. Once your muse is accustomed to being on call (She’s bringing out the red notebook! She’s opening Evernote!) you can find your focus quickly. Doing something, anything, will help you stay on track with your project, and give you a huge mental boost. You’ll be fine with calling yourself a writer, because you are one.
