Writing for Yourself
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