If there is one thing every writer wants, it is to be better at writing. No matter how new you are to the writing game, or if you’ve published a dozen books, pretty much every writer wants to be better at what they do. It’s just a natural want. We have such beautiful books in our imaginations. We see such a perfect end product in our minds. And what we end up writing can’t hope to completely capture what we’ve envisioned. No matter how hard we try, it’s never quite perfect. And that’s frustrating.
I feel like sometimes, it’s easy to look at other writers and wonder how they managed to get to be so good. Is there some secret that we’re missing out on, something magic that will help us to get better as writers? Maybe if we follow their exact journey, or their writing process, then we too can learn to write as well as them. Wouldn’t that be nice? Except, it never works like that. And often, the process they have for writing their books won’t suit you at all. We’re all different. We’ve got to find our own processes here.
The true secret of how to become a better writer is this: Hard work and determination.
Mind blowing, I know. But it’s true. You get to be a better writer by spending hours at the desk, working on your craft. Day after day, you have to show up and do the work, It’s not very magical, and it takes a lot of time and effort to get anywhere. There’s more of muscle than magic in the journey to becoming a better writer. But, while this might not sound very glamorous, and might even seem a bit disappointing, it’s actually very encouraging.
If being a good writer meant that you had to be born writing poetry, that you had to be reading before you could walk, or was the product of some secret held by those in the know, then there would be no hope for any of us. But, because good writing comes through hard work and determination, it means that we can all become better writers. All you need to be able to do is to sit down and write something. And then you have to come back and do it again. And again. It takes persistence and a willingness to keep trying. It takes time, and the truth is that there is no easy way to do it. But if you want to become a better writer, then you absolutely can.
I may have lied, when I said that there was no magic that would make you a better writer. Because there is. The true magic comes from you and your willingness to keep writing and keep learning. Your persistence, even when you’re stuck in a muddy middle. It comes from your belief in yourself and your hard work. The real truth is this: You create your own magic, through your time and your effort, your dedication and your words. If there is any secret to becoming a great writer, it is this. Keep showing up. Keep trying. Keep making progress, one word at a time. Because that is the real magic.
