Past Opinion Articles

Article for the week of 2/28/07

So you want to be a writer II
By, Puns McKenna

Well here's the first thing you do. Get a pencil and some paper and begin by writing your letters... What? You mean you already know that step? Oh. Well there you go then. You have nearly everything you need to be a writer. Next step is a good grasp of the Language you want to write in. You know all the rules, and structures, and stuff.

Ok, so that's what they tell you to begin with. And the advice is sound. Get a good grasp of grammar, sentence structure, and context then begin writing. That's the basics for any type of writing. Now to be a writer it takes a little more... special? Writing is an art, a drive, and a passion. At least that's how it is for me. Now I have all the basics of writing. The basic mechanics of writing, that is. The rest is hard for me to describe, but let me give it a try.

Writing is an art. Why do I say it's an art? Simple. A writer paints pictures in words. People say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but what are a thousand words worth? A picture? In my estimation? Hardly. A thousand words is worth so much more. For me, a thousand words are a life. My characters tell me their story more often than not, and I just write them down.

Why do I say writing is a drive? Well, anyone who has seriously considered writing for the enjoyment of others or just for their own enjoyment should know how a story can grab you. For me, when a story grabs me, I have to tell a story from beginning to end. It's almost as if some invisible force is pushing me to write the story. It's a burning desire to tell a story that will entertain or inform.

And at last we reach the important question. Why is writing a passion? For me writing is a way to entertain people and to give them insight into some of the lessons I have learned. I love to write. I love to tell a story. And I love to help people with my insights.

So what you need to do is ask yourself why YOU want to write. Do you want to entertain people? Do you want to teach? Do you just want to get rid of that story that's been running around in your head? That's what you have to decide. And in that decision, you will discover whether or not you want to tell stories for others to enjoy, or whether you just want to write for your own benefit.

I've been writing for more than half my life. In the beginning I wrote for my own enjoyment. I wrote because I had stories to tell. I was eleven when I told my first story to others. Since then I have had the burning desire to tell my stories to others. For me there is not much that can compare with the reactions of the readers.

Do you have to be someone special to write? Nope! I'm no one special. I'm just the average person. A wife and mother; a rabid gamer and sci-fi nut. I've had a hard life just like everyone else in this world, and I've learned from mistakes. I just want to share some of that wisdom, and give people the chance to escape into an entertaining world of fantasy for a while.

I've had people tell me that writing is just a pipe dream. That I'll never make anything of myself. Well you know what? Those people are wrong. Anyone that tells you that you won't make it, is either jealous or has given up. The only way you won't make it as a writer, or anything you choose to do with your life, is if you never try. The one thing that my father instilled really well in me, is this:

Only you can make your dreams happen.

If you make the effort and don't give up, you will one day make your dreams come true. That maxim holds true for anyone and any dream. If you are willing to put in the effort and work for your dream, then the rewards will by far outweigh the hardship. It may not be monetary rewards; it may not be earth-shattering recognition. But you will have the rewarding experience of having completed your goal.

So reach beyond yourself and make your dreams come true. Only you can.