Do You Want to Dabble in Writing?
Last week, I mentioned to a friend that my new book, Lucky and Unlucky in Love, is coming out on 30 September (preorder here) and he said the thing so many folks say to me when they learn I’m a writer: I want to write a book. After years of ingesting tips and tricks, reading countless books and blog posts, listening to hours of podcasts, and writing more than a few books, I have a pretty good understanding of what it takes to write. I boiled it down for him into two distinct ideas: start small and keep the critical voice out of your head as best you can.
The Start Small idea is simply this: on average, a person who spends 15 minutes writing can produce around 250 words. Do that for 7 days, and you have 1,750 words. Do that for a month, you have 7,000 words, a decent short story. Do that for a year and you have 84,000 words! All produced for as little as 15 minutes a day. Do you have 15 minutes to spare? Then you can write.
The Critical Voice idea is easier said than done: write for enjoyment without any other care in the world. Write because you want to create something brand new.
Basically, write for yourself and no one else.
Key to keeping this critical voice at bay is the idea that you may write just to write. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, the only thing a writer can control is the writing itself. If a writer is too concerned about what others might think or how many sales they’ll get, then the Critical Voice wins and you won’t enjoy writing.
To put it another way, dabble in writing because you want to become a broader, deeper person.
In Defense of Dabbling
This past week, Karen Walrond visited my local bookstore, Blue Willow Book Shop, to celebrate the publication of her new book, In Defense of Dabbling: The Brilliance of Being a Total Amateur. The thesis is right there in the title. Somehow, over the past thirty years, folks have slowly stopped doing something purely for fun without any consideration of turning it into a side hustle or becoming an expert at it.
Many of us have parents and grandparents who were members of bridge clubs or whittled or quilted or joined bowling leagues or sketched. They did it not to make a little extra cash. They did it for enjoyment, to make their lives a little less mundane.
Walrond said that one of the things she does when she needs a break is to hula hoop, often posting photos online. Some folks questioned her: Aren’t you scared of what others might think? What if you make a fool of yourself? She goes on to quote a woman who basically said, “I’m so focused on my career that I forgot how to be interesting.”
It broke her heart, she said on Monday at the bookstore. I understand the feeling.
Walrond identified seven attributes of amateurism:
- Curiosity
- Mindfulness
- Play
- Comfort zones (i.e., expanding them)
- Connection
- Self-compassion
- Wonder and Awe
Each one of these attributes can build us up into more interesting, more well-rounded people. Because a hobby isn’t just a hobby. If you have a hobby, you can bring in more than just one of those seven attributes. The cadence of a hobby helps us rest and re-create ourselves. It becomes a type of meditation that can quiet our minds. No matter what, you will improve your skill. If you spend fifteen minutes a day writing, you will get better. And lastly, Walrond said, working on a hobby will make your life better.
Dabbling in Writing
So, do you want to dabble with writing? If the answer is yes, then do this:
Start on Wednesday, 1 October. Write for 15 minutes a day at a minimum. If you are just starting out, doing it for the first time, or the first time in forever, write only 15 minutes a day.
Write freely.
Write without an internal Critical Voice.
Write for the joy of telling a story.
Write for yourself.
But most of all: just write. For the sheer fun of writing.
And have a blast doing it.