Write

Write. If you want to be a writer you have to write. Everyday. Consistently. It doesn’t matter what you say sounds like garbage. Trust your instincts, it is garbage. The content may be lacking. The style maybe a pissant rip-off from your current reading material. Just take comfort that you recognize you’ve churned out a heap of crap. It’s like Math, the more you practice the more surer you get. Finally, at some point you will transition. From being the rip off artist to coming up with original content. That’s the gold node you are striking for. The rest is just journey preps.

Don’t bother about the exchange value you will get for your nuggets. The market is a terrible place. You aint in it for the sales pitch. What you are looking for is that crazy kick of awe and reverence you get when you discover something truly new. The illumination your words bring. That selfish fierce hug you give yourself at what you’ve done.

The critics will make much of about this or that. That your discovery is a well-mined concept. That your mind is a second rate sieve trap for the brighter gleanings of greater minds. Little do they know.

The only person who can kick your ass for second-rate effort is yourself. And maybe some of those you trust. You know the weaknesses in your word flow. At some places it will be a simple gossamer sheen that can get punched out. You may try to protect it. Don’t. It’s dishonest.

Be wary of praise and criticism. Both are misleading. The only true measure of your writing is the satisfaction of a job well done. And that’s rare.