Heard some advice about writing recently which I disagreed with, and I think it's fundamental enough to go into why. That's my way of warning you of a short thread.
The (paraphrased) advice was "if you talk about how much you want to write and two years later, you haven't written, you don't really want to write".
I don't think this is the worst thing ever said or anything, and I almost agree with it. Basically, writers write. I agree with that. And if you're not writing, you're not a writer. But it doesn't mean you can't or don't want to.
Some people are scared. Some people don't know how to. Some people temporarily can't. Some people freeze. There are all kinds of valid reasons someone may not be pursuing things they really want to do.
I honestly believe anybody can write. Anybody. Maybe not brilliantly, but well. I've been running a writing group for almost 8 years, and along with the people who become regulars, we've had a lot of one-timers. And in all that time, I never met anyone who couldn't write.
Sure, I heard stuff that needed work. Some of it was about learning the fundamentals. But even then, it was always fixable. (And sure, some of it I didn't like, but that's less important).
I wanted to get into film-making for years. Almost all my life. But I didn't until I started making short films two years ago. It took someone who did make films asking me "are you waiting for permission?" And yeah. I kind of was. As stupid as that sounds.
A lot of people don't know if they can do something like writing. And that can be absolutely paralysing. Because you can end up believing there's something to it that you don't know how to do.
Now, there's a motivational side to that quote I took issue with, and I believe it was said with this intent. In two years, you're capable of doing it. There's nothing external stopping you. Get out there and do it!
And that's great. It's true as well. But I think advice along the lines of "if you really wanted to do it, you'd have done it by now" is more likely to demotivate some of the people who need the most support.
It's never too late. Never. Two years from now, you can have completed a project you want to do. But if, for whatever reason you haven't, you're still only two years away.
Okay, this thread is escaping from the 'short' description. But here's another writing group confession. Those people I mentioned earlier, whose stuff needed work? The few who needed to learn fundamentals? I went easy as hell on them with feedback.
When you're figuring something out? When you're taking your first steps? That's when you need encouraging. That's when you need support the most. Criticism can come later.
I've had people at the group who were terrified to read. Literally terrified. And even if they have a long way to go, this is not the time to kick the shit out of them. It's the time to encourage.
Dont get me wrong. Once you've been doing it for a while and you want and can handle criticism that's about tearing it apart until it works? I'll roll up my sleeves and get clawing.
Some writing groups just tear everything apart, and that can scare off the people who need encouraging the most. The very worst involve people who know exactly what power they wield and enjoy tearing stuff apart, whoever submits it.
I've heard plenty of stories about writing groups like that and basically, fuck those guys. When you're comfortable doing something, it's the easiest thing in the world to make people who aren't feel worse about themselves.
This is getting away from the original quote (which wasn't that dickish) but here's something a bit closer that I've also heard. "If you don't write, you can't call yourself a writer." And I'm closer to agreeing with that, but with two caveats.
1. It should be "can't currently call yourself a writer"
2. It doesn't mean you can't start being one.
2. It doesn't mean you can't start being one.
And that brings me back to the original quote. If you really want to do something and, two years later, you havent, you may need to look into whatever is stopping you. Because it isn't magic. It isn't rocket science. You can do it. Anyone can.
It's not going to be perfect. You're not going to lightly brush perfect words onto the page through desire alone. It's going to suck at times. But that's okay because that's how it's meant to work.
If you're like I was and, for some reason, you think you need permission, here it is. You have permission. And you have encouragement. It's not magic. I believe anyone can do it. And that means I believe you can do it.
If you need to hear it from someone, and you happen to read this, hopefully you'll believe it from me. I believe you can do it. And I believe in you. And you have permission and my enthusiastic encouragement.
If it's been two, ten, twenty or fifty years? Doesn't mean you can't start now.
Because I've been asked, I run the @Biggreenbooks writing group. If you're reading this, feel free to come along any time. meetu.ps/c/2y8pR/trRh8/d
If you have any questions, thoughts or issues with anything I've said here, feel very free to @ me or DM me.
If you read this far, and you think it's been worth your time, please do retweet this thread. Likes are lovely but they don't help others see it as much as retweets. And I'd love people who need to read some of these points, whoever they come from, to happen to see it.
