So, you love to write, yet you think you can’t?

Of course you can!

For starters, you enjoy or long to express yourself on paper. Right?

You may keep journals, and you may find writing to be therapeutic.

Writing has become one of your “happy places” in life.

If you have nodded your head “yes” to some of this, you may be a writer.

My advice is to write, and keep on writing. Read, and read a lot.

Write every day. Gradually build up to 100 words a day. Soon, you’ll pen 200 – 300 words in no time flat.

To get started, try writing about any topic or thought that you want to express. Do not worry about grammar or spelling. If you cannot think of a specific theme to write about, start with one sentence (focus on one thing from your day, for example) and build on that. Just start writing. It does not matter how bad you think your writing is, just write. Editing comes later, much later.

When you cannot think of anything to write about, try scrolling through graphics or photos. I usually write my blog posts first, and then I select a graphic or photo, but it also happens in reverse. Photographs inspire me to write.

Your writing will improve on its own when you purposely write every day, and especially when you combine it with proliferous reading. You’ll find your own writing style, and you will also notice differences in writing styles. You will learn to observe, and even work at picking up the writing style(s) that you love.

File or save everything that you have written. This is where journals come in handy. By hanging on to what you’re written, because you never know when you might want to write a book, or start a blog, you’ll always have a starting place.

Thoughts itching to be written are wasted, lost, vanished for good, when they go in the trash (or are never penned to begin with). Trust me, I have to grab a piece of paper, a voice recorder (my phone), or a sticky note when a fresh idea pops into my head. If I depend upon memory, the moment passes and it never gets written. Inspiration tends to dwindle once it is pushed to the back burner. My husband is very aware of this. He’ll toss a used envelope at me and say, “Write it down, now!” Your family and friends may not want to read your writing, but they will become your support system when they hear you say, “I feel writing coming on.”

Some additional signs that you might be a writer:

• You dream about writing
• Writing was a childhood passion of yours
• You’ve dream of screen writing
• Writing has been a hobby for as long as you can remember
• You feel you cannot stop writing
• You are a day dreamer, and it has to be put into words

If you want to write, I hope this post has inspired you. If you already write, then I hope you have found renewed inspiration.

Do you love to write? When did you discover your passion for writing? How did you get beyond doubt in yourself as a writer? What is your best advice for an aspiring writer?