Recently, I attended a book reading of the historical fiction, Parvatibai, by Author Sutapa Basu. The passage that Basu read out was extremely intriguing that I bought the book and got it autographed by her. I am looking forward to reading it soon.
The norm at most of these events has always been to ask the author for her advice to young writers. That was the case here too. Basu said,
"Take your writing seriously. If you don't, no one else ever will."
In my opinion, this could be one of the best advice I've ever come across. It is the absolute truth too. Whether you are a full-time writer or you write only on weekends, if you don't take your writing seriously, no one else ever will.
How does one take writing seriously?
In his book, 'On Writing', Stephen King echoes a similar sentiment when he says,
"... you must not come lightly to the blank page.
If you can take it seriously, we can do business. If you can't or won't, it's time for you to close the book and do something else.
Wash the car, maybe."
King goes on to tell you how to take the craft seriously.
- Read a lot and write a lot.
- Stephen King mentions that you need a writing space that can be humble but it definitely needs a door that you are willing to shut. He says, "The closed door is your way of telling the world and yourself that you mean business; you have made a serious commitment to write and intend to walk the walk as well as talk the talk."
- King also insists that you have a daily writing goal. He suggest a 1000 words a day and one day off in a week.
- He recommends that you should never wait for the muse.
Taking writing seriously means showing up for it, even when it's hard. It means making space for it in your life, learning from your mistakes, and always looking for ways to get better. It's a journey, but for those who love it, every step is worth it.
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