As shocking as it sounds, people often say to me, “You look short.”
Well, I am short.
No sense denying it. I won’t be trying out for the NBA anytime soon. But what of it? I’ve been short my whole life, so you know, I’m kind of used to it. I’ve accepted it.
Accepting the sort of writer you are can be more difficult. Do you ever read a book and think, “Man, I wish I could write that funny/poetic/fastaced/romantic/ etc.” Maybe you give it a shot, starting out with some, “I CAN DO ANYTHING!” superhero enthusiasm that morphs into all-too-human muttering, “This crap’s hard,” until finally you’re looking for a solid object to bang your head against as you cry, “Loser, loser, loser, loser!”
But before you resign your writing to the recycling bin, remember each of you is a unique person with something to say. And no one can say that thing quite the same way you do. Being your best means being yourself. Embracing that allows your style to come through your writing.
I don’t mean to say it’s never good to branch out--try something new.
Just that most people who succeed play to their strengths. If you’re funny, be
funny. If you’re romantic, be romantic. Find your strengths and shine those
puppies until they sparkle like Edward Cullen on a Caribbean cruise. Once you
know your strengths, use them, and then you can become “known” for them.
And maybe, just maybe, one day you’ll wake to find you’re the number one, international bestselling, Pulitzer prize winning, millionaire, everyone-wants-to-be -me- author of the most awesome gorilla zombie love story of all time.
Okay, maybe that’s overly dramatic. But hey--that’s just the kind of writer I am.
Well, I am short.
No sense denying it. I won’t be trying out for the NBA anytime soon. But what of it? I’ve been short my whole life, so you know, I’m kind of used to it. I’ve accepted it.
Accepting the sort of writer you are can be more difficult. Do you ever read a book and think, “Man, I wish I could write that funny/poetic/fastaced/romantic/ etc.” Maybe you give it a shot, starting out with some, “I CAN DO ANYTHING!” superhero enthusiasm that morphs into all-too-human muttering, “This crap’s hard,” until finally you’re looking for a solid object to bang your head against as you cry, “Loser, loser, loser, loser!”
But before you resign your writing to the recycling bin, remember each of you is a unique person with something to say. And no one can say that thing quite the same way you do. Being your best means being yourself. Embracing that allows your style to come through your writing.
I don’t mean to say it’s never good to branch out--try something new.
Just that most people who succeed play to their strengths. If you’re funny, be
funny. If you’re romantic, be romantic. Find your strengths and shine those
puppies until they sparkle like Edward Cullen on a Caribbean cruise. Once you
know your strengths, use them, and then you can become “known” for them.
And maybe, just maybe, one day you’ll wake to find you’re the number one, international bestselling, Pulitzer prize winning, millionaire, everyone-wants-to-be -me- author of the most awesome gorilla zombie love story of all time.
Okay, maybe that’s overly dramatic. But hey--that’s just the kind of writer I am.
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