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Writing for Yourself
By Amrit Hallan
I often see writers getting bogged
down by "markets". They constantly worry about who
is going to like their work and who is not going to like their
work.
Before I go further with what I intend to
convey in this article, I would like to make a few things clear.
There are many sorts of writers: Romance Writers, Fantasy Writers,
Mystery Writers, Erotica Writers, etc. And of course, Copywriters
and Journalists. Writers belonging to these categories have
to constantly keep in their minds for what sort of readers they
are writing. I don't mean to portray them as lesser writers,
but they are basically catering to the concept of "demand
and supply", and they are basically writing for money.
You may ask: what's wrong in that? Nothing. I myself offer my
writing services to those who are willing to pay.
Personally I believe, if you want to excel
in the field of writing, you have to see yourself beyond such
peripheries of categories and markets. I often find myself saying,
"Writers write for themselves, readers read them if they
like them." Some
say the statement is arrogant, but I couldn't care less.
You can't write well if you are always worrying
about your readers. An aim of every worthy writer is to communicate
in his own style, and still be able to communicate.
The first step in this direction is, to believe
that you are right, without running into the quicksand conceit.
I have gone through this useless phase of vanity and it was
the most unproductive period of my life as a writer. A writer
never writes on pre-drawn lines. He/she always defines and creates
a unique style, and if that style carries valid originality,
there is a miniscule chance of it being rejected by readers.
You have to be passionate about your writing
even if it sounds ritualistic. Stay away from affectations just
to please your readers. The passion always comes through your
words, your phrases, your full stops and commas. This is a wonderful
thing about words. They exactly convey the way you feel no matter
how adeptly you try to convey something else.
Remember that it's you who are the conveyor
of your ideas, not some other writer you are trying to emulate.
If they are your thoughts, then they have to be manifested in
your words.
Some writers keep waiting for the right moment.
Believe me, this is the biggest hurdle a writer faces. What's
the difference between "normal" people and highly
successful people? Normal people wait for the opportunity, or
if they are lucky, they stumble into an opportunity. On the
other hand, successful people either create opportunities of
their own, or they keep working without getting bothered about
opportunities - for them, even smaller chances turn into bigger
opportunities. So keep writing without waiting for inspiration,
or the "right moment".
Keep writing, keep writing, and keep writing.
For example, when I started working on this article, my brain
felt like a stone. I'm down with flue, cold and cough. I slipped
in the bathroom a few days back so all my joints are dancing
a witch-dance of pain. When I decided to write this article,
I felt a strange
revulsion for my computer screen and my keyboard. I felt like
I can never write and I'm not supposed to write. Every individual
word felt like a drag. But then I told myself, "Heck I
can write whenever I want to!"
I'm writing, and I don't know how this article
is going to turn up. I'm writing this for myself. I have decided
that I have to write today.
The best way to write is, let yourself loose.
Immerse yourself in the subject. Get rid of inhibitions. Never
let negative thoughts enter your mind. Above all, be sincere
with yourself. It's only you who knows who you are and where
you stand.
About the author:
Amrit Hallan is a freelance copywriter, writer and a web developer.
He also writes pages that are optimized for search engine rankings.
Checkout his site, and read more of his writings at http://www.amrithallan.com
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