After graduating high school I went to community college to study forestry. It was there that I had a writing instructor who was the
first to help me. He taught me nothing.
What he did do was express the same amazement that I felt deep down inside that I couldn't write. He acknowleged that I was truly trying, that I was not stupid and that it was surprising that someone who loved to READ so much would be completely incapable of stringing a few sentences together. God bless him where ever he is now.
Another great shift in conciousness for me occured as I was driving aimlessly in the beautiful mountains south of SanDiego at 2 AM in 1985. Yes 1985. I don't usually remember dates very well but I bought a new truck that year that I still drive... but I digress.
The shift. I was listening to my radio as I wound my way through the dark hills and I found some NPR broadcast of an interview with Annie Dillard. I couldn't believe it. Mentally , physically, I was in the middle of no where and here was an interview with someone whose writing I just adored.
You know what she said that caused my shift? Of course not. So I will tell you. The interviewer asked if her wonderful prose came out in just the form we read it in.
Well, Ms Dillard was agast - 'Good lord no!' (or some simular exclamation) She went on to describe her process as sitting down to write and making a HUGE mess until she knew she was done.
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It is a huge disservice when some people act as though writing is easy or tell a student they can't write!!!!
That teacher should have his pens removed!!!! There are ways for teachers to judge that don't say, "You can't write." That is not the way to do it.
Encouragement with instruction as opposed to "judging."
So what if your first efforts are not perfect? So what? No one is born a writer...and you may never be great. So what? Writing is it's own wonderful experience. To label you as a non-writer is crushing.
As you will see in another post here, my first efforts are total junk.
I've been writing professionally for 30 years. I have been a reporter for the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle. I've been published in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and New York Times. Then I was a professional researcher, Research Director and technology analyst.
Now, I'm an author of my first book, published by Palgrave Macmillan.
I'm telling you this not to say how great I am, but that I have gotten beat to smitherens by editors from every publication mentioned here. I got beat up the most by Palgrave. You would think I am the worst writer in the world...
Yet, they bought my book.
Don't let anyone stop you from writing. Not that you don't need editing. We all do...but keep on. Learn, join writers clubs, writing groups, take classes, and write, write, write. Go to writers conferences. It's fun..
What you will find in the writing community is the same as you see here. Writers at all different stages with the same challenges. It's hard to write. Always and that never changes.
But isn't it fun to share? We have a lot to give to each other. We all have resources.
