The Ramblings of a Wanna-be Writer

I am a writer. Saying those words have been the hardest for me to say in the longest time without adding a qualifier or holding up "air quotes". I have also seen myself as a creative person who could turn that creativity into the words. I have wanted to write and have enjoyed writing for long enough that I cannot articulate a time when I did not. Whether I was good at it is debatable, depending on who you asked but I enjoyed it immensely.

Not too long ago, I found a video by one of my favorite YouTube channels where he talked about how to be successful on YouTube.

He made two points that stuck with me: 1) If you want to be successful on YouTube, you have to make videos. Do not wait until you have an expensive camera, the fanciest setup, or the best microphone. Just make (and post) videos. Just do it. 2) Make (and post) videos as often as you can. This individual used to post a video every day for more than a year. He posted every single day. He was filming in his car, using an old phone, and posting it every single day. He described it as a way to “get the junk out”.

Since I am now comfortably into being 40 and I hope to add "published author" to the list of titles I have had during my life, I have to first write. I have to let go of the idea that everything I write is for a project or has to be a profound opus. If I only write when the idea is hot for the one project I am working, I will never publish anything.

The best way to build a muscle is to work it. Flexing in the mirror may do a lot for your pride, but not so much to build the muscle itself. You have to put it to work.

This is my work out. This is me getting the junk out. And now, I have mixed my metaphors completely up.

I have Imposter Syndrome when it comes to writing, as I am sure most people do when they get the lofty idea of writing a book. Who am I to think that people would love to read my work enough that they would buy a book? Who would believe enough in something that I wrote that they would publish that book? Turns about that the first answer surprised me a great deal. And the second answer was that it did not matter if I could sell the manuscript, I could self-publish it.

I have a bit of a following on a certain “clock app” and I mentioned that I wanted to write the story of the original character (“OC”) I had created for videos. The input and support I got from a lot of those people made the Imposter living in my brain go quiet, if only for a moment.

One of my mutuals on that app reached out to me and asked me about my book only a couple of days ago. They are making a website that caters to independent nerd authors, so that nerds can find them.

So here I am, getting the “junk” out and writing my little heart out when I could, and by all means should, be doing other things.

I am a writer. I am a person that writes. I am an aspiring author. I am sitting here writing out the thoughts that are floating around in my brain, putting them into an order that hopefully makes sense and attempting to make the words flow.

And you are reading it.

Thank you, person reading this. I hope that you find $100 free and clear on the street today. I hope that you walk into the place that has your favorite treat and you get the first one out of the oven or off the grill or whatever fits. I hope all your street lights are green.

If you are a writer who is supporting others by reading their stuff, you are amazing and you can write that hard project you have in your head. I believe in you.