by Edie Melson @EdieMelson
Many of us hit places in our journey where we wonder if we're really cut out for writing. Insecurity and the general insanity of the business can whittle down our confidence until we're ready to throw in the towel. But there are some unexpected ways to confirm your calling, if you're willing to take a look at familiar things in different ways.
Today I'd like to share a list of things that can reverse that insecurity. If you find any of these familiar, you're definitely on the write . . . uh . . . right path.
12 Ways to Know You're Really a Writer
1. You look forward to the holidays and getting together with difficult relatives because it gives you more ideas for quirky characters.
2. Eavesdropping is a way of life—how else can you learn to write realistic dialogue?
3. You never go anywhere without a pen and paper—you never know when inspiration will hit.
4. Your husband bought you a digital voice recorder because he was afraid you’d wreck the car writing notes when inspiration hits.
5. You frequently act out scenes for your book, and even ask your family to participate.
6. Going too long without writing can bring on a case of hives.
7. Your personal computer has several files on how to commit the perfect murder.
8. You can’t pass a bookstore with going in.
9. Your spouse now sleeps with a mask on because you frequently flip on the light to take notes in the middle of the night.
10. When something funny happens to a family member, his/her first reaction is to beg you NOT to write about it.
11. Your frequently have conversations—out loud—with your character.
12. You have at least one non-writer friend who refuses to go to lunch with you any more—one too many discussions about how to poison someone.
Now I'd love to hear what you'd add to the list. What things confirm your calling to the writer's life?
TWEETABLE
She and husband Kirk have been married 40+ years and raised three sons. They live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and can often be found hiking—with Edie clinging to the edge of a precipice for the perfect camera angle and Kirk patiently carrying her camera bag and tripod. Connect with her on her website, www.EdieMelson.com and through social media.
I laughed out loud. Yep. I'm a writer, no denying it.
ReplyDeleteThis is so fun (and true)! I'll add a few more:
ReplyDelete* Every family member knows the way to your heart is through a book store gift card.
* Something happens almost every day that makes you think, "There's a devotion in that."
* The top two things on your wish list for any gift-giving occasion are money to go toward a conference and a weekend away -- alone! -- to write.
* When your daughter's boyfriend surprises you with something he made on his new 3D printer, it's a little stack of books. :-)
I love these, too.
DeleteThis is spot on!
ReplyDeleteI've done every blessed one! And have the digital recorder. Love it, Edie!
ReplyDeleteGreat list! I'd add a Google search history that shows an obsession with knives, guns, and poisons. (Also, where to hide a body.)
ReplyDeleteThanks Edie...such great timing for this list...our Heavenly Father always knows! : )
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely hysterical, but true for many fiction writers.
ReplyDeleteLove this, Edie! And amen to Leigh's additions too! I'd add:
ReplyDeleteMy favorite artwork is a drawing my grandson made of me sitting at my computer when he was five years old.
When someone asks about something in one of your books and you end up giving them a history lesson. (Or maybe it's because I write historical fiction?)
Your desk is symbolic of Einstein's who said, "If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, then what are we to think of an empty desk?"
You have no idea how much I needed this post today. God spoke and I was still laughing along with Him. Thank you!
ReplyDelete