Being a writer is not an easy task, as many things need to be considered. Writing is not a contest that a writer needs to enter; you can write at your own pace. It is a journey of self-discovery as you identify your strengths and weaknesses and determine your writing purpose. Are you writing because it is your dream to publish a book? Are you doing it because you find it comforting and it’s your way to express yourself? Or are you writing to make money in some way? Those are just a few reasons and goals a writer can think of when they write.
It is their goal, their driving force, that motivates them to write and finish their work. Whatever it is, it is what motivates them to write despite their lack of resources.
Writer vs. Author
According to a masterclass instructor, Dan Brown, a writer is involved in the writing process. Writer usually spends their days writing books, novellas, short stories, or even journal entries in the morning, which defines them as a writer. Anyone who engages in the writing process, whether their work is published or not, is technically a writer. An author is someone whose written work has been published. They are considered authors when they originate the ideas and content of their work.
Also, an act of publishing makes you an author if your book is distributed by the publishing industry. You’re an author if your written work has originality and has been published. That is why most authors are writers, but not all writers are authors.
A writer’s weakness
Writing is not an easy job, especially when there are some days that you don’t feel like holding your pen and/or sitting in front of your computer and typing the next part of your narrative. It is a challenge to conquer those dark days of having writer’s block, those times of lacking productivity and motivation, and other reasons that stop you from writing continuously. There are a lot of reasons why these things happen. However, above all, the greatest enemy of a writer is a lack of confidence.
A writer who is not confident in themselves is a writer who can’t achieve success. Having confidence in the things you want to do gives you the motivation to do more. And this is where underrated and beginning writers’ struggles begin. Lack of confidence may result in poor performance and productivity.
A writer’s strength
Personal strengths play a significant role in achieving one’s writing objectives. By better understanding your writing talents, you may make better decisions about which precise topics and forms of writing to pursue. Learn what you’re good at and how to utilize these things so you can use them as a strength in writing.
Don’t be afraid of criticism, as it is only part of the game. Take it as a compliment to improve and do better. Other than that, read more. The more you read, the more you learn.
An example of a Triumph
One of the successful writers that you should look up is the famous Lisa Genova, the author of the book “Still Alice.” A novel about a woman who suffers from the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease. She started writing stories after she got divorced when her daughter was still three. Her devastation and heartbreak triggered a major plot twist in her life, prompting her to begin writing.
The story was roughly inspired by Lisa’s grandmother, who had Alzheimer’s. When she was diagnosed with that disease, they were in denial, which later became Lisa’s motivation to write a novel from the perspective of a character who suffered from the disease. She wanted to show what it looks like to have such a disease.
She self-published her book in the summer of 2007, and she sold it out of the trunk of her car for 10 months before being noticed and published by Simon & Schuster. Her book became known and was adapted into a movie, and the actress playing the lead role, Julianne Moore, won an award at the Oscars as Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Lisa didn’t expect to become the author of such a remarkable book, as she pictured herself as a neuroscientist when she was young. She is now one of the speakers at TED Talks, and she is still spreading awareness about Alzheimer’s disease.
Writing can be a journey you never foresee. Writing is a place where you can pour your heart out. Some days keep you up, and there are some days that you feel the blues. Just like life, writing is a journey that doesn’t have a normal path. Sometimes, some people need to feel the pain to express what they can’t say through writing.
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