Written for my Intro to Creative Writing final.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about the art of fiction and poetry writing, it is this: it is not easy. Sure, writing can be fun, challenging and rewarding, but it is not easy. Writing is not about how many words one writes, or how perfect one’s prose is; writing is not a contest. No, writing requires creativity, discipline, and, most of all, heart.
All three are needed to navigate what I call “The Writer’s Path.” It is a long and hard road that seems to stretch a lifetime, branching into hundreds upon hundreds of forks, marked with signs full of nothing but gibberish. I have been down the Writer’s Path before, and I can see all the footprints left by travelers who have tried to enter this realm, and the footprints of those who have turned around and headed the other way. I was one of those people, one who thought he was foolish to go down that road; that, perhaps, he had something important to offer. Now, I realize the only foolish thing I had done was believing I was foolish to begin with.
I see that you wish to travel down this road yourself, but are too afraid to take a step without guidance. Take my hand, then and I will teach you what I know.
We are at the beginning of the path now, and, as always, a writer must start somewhere. A proper education, including a good foundation in English, not only helps to build your vocabulary and rhetorical skills (for these are an absolute must if one seeks to be successful in a writing career), but the things you learn can aid you in the creation of fictional worlds, cultures, technologies and people. Attending special writing schools and taking creative writing classes in college help to fine tune the knowledge you have already amassed.
But what better way to learn about writing than from the greats? Reading many novels is a great way to learn how a professional writer works his or her magic, and is also a great way to increase your vocabulary (aside from reading the dictionary, of course). Take it from me; I do not read a lot and my writing has suffered because of it. Whenever I do get the chance to read, however, I become inspired to write and have even considered adopting some of the writing techniques of my favorite authors.
A few more steps across the path now, and we finally come to the first fork in the road. You have already established your foundations, but where do you go from there? Whatever you do, you start small, and you write, and write, and write. A beginning writer does not start his first novel on his first day, just as an apprentice carpenter doesn’t build a house the first day on the job. They constantly practice at their craft until they build up enough knowledge and patience to combat the big tasks. Do not overwhelm yourself in an attempt to prove something; you cannot compete with Shakespeare no matter how hard you try. Successes do not come often, and when they do, they come after a lot of practice and patience. You are still learning, and that should be enough.
But wait, you’re letting go of my hand and turning back. Why? Are you giving up that easily? Stop. You must realize that, for anyone, The Writer’s Path is a difficult path to navigate; full of mountains, potholes and deserts, and, hence, it is not wise to navigate alone. Be aware that not everyone will accept your work with open arms and a smile; they will oftentimes tell you things about your work that you’d rather not hear. Despite this fear, take to heart these comments, for criticism and the insight of others can only do you good. Do not avoid giving your work to someone else because you are afraid they will dislike it and call you out on it; listen to what they have to say and use their suggestions to better your own writing. Other people only control what you write if you let them.
You have taken my hand again. Good. Let us go a little farther down the path. Notice how there are not as many footsteps in the road as there were before, for few people have gotten this far without turning back. Those who have amassed enough knowledge and experience and feel confident enough that that they can make it in the big writing world have decided to send out their work. Some of them have gotten their first rejection slip, then turned heel, and left. Or some have not found the right contacts and have gotten fed up in their attempts to find a good editor. When you want to get your writing out there, you need to search for the proper medium, whether it be through a magazine or an agent if you wish to publish a novel. Even going to one or two writing conventions is a great way to meet other writers and potential agents, although this author has never been to a writing convention so he cannot say much about them. And be wary, because very few new authors sell that well, and very few, if any, manuscripts are accepted by editors. Learn to not fear the red pen, for it is your friend.
Well, I am afraid this is where I must leave you and let you finish your journey on your own. I have passed on what knowledge I have obtained to you in hopes that it may guide you further down the path. However, I am not the only person you will meet in your travels. There are others who will help you further along, that will teach you things even I have not learned. So heed them well.
And as I turn away, and walk back the path we came, I hope that you have learned that a true writer loves what he does; puts his mind, body, and soul into everything he writes. A true writer is not afraid to push the limits of his writing, and when he finally reaches those limits, he pushes them higher. Fiction isn’t simply a game; to a true writer, it is a way of life, a pastime handed down generation after generation to those willing to grip the mighty pen between their fingers and use their knowledge to do what only the gods can do.
