If you write, be it on paper, a computer, the back of someone's head, you are a writer. Remember that.
Oh. 'Not good enough', I hear you say. I want to be a published writer.'
Alright then. Let me tell you about Malorie Blackman. She's a British author who currently holds the position of Children's Laureate for 2013-2015.
This week, she was the featured 'castaway' on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. For those of you that don't know, DID is a show where someone is interviewed about their life, and the music that influenced them at different points in their life.
Malorie Blackman always wanted to be a writer, even when she was young. But when she was asked by her careers teacher / adviser what she wanted to be, and Malorie answered 'an English teacher', she was told, 'Oh! Black women don't do that...why not become a secretary or something?'
Malorie holds no disrespect to secretaries, but it is simply not what she wanted to do.
Her husband supported her idea of writing - hard - for one year, but around that year, she was doing jobs....one of them, in computing, of all things.
A meeting with Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple, changed things, and Alice asked Malorie what she wanted to be. 'A writer', she said, 'but I get so many rejections. I suppose you should tell me don't give up'....!
And so Alice Walker, author of the very famous Color Purple book, wrote 'To Malorie, don't give up. Alice Walker'.
So because Alice Walker told her not to give up, Malorie didn't, and after some 82 rejection letters, became a published writer.
Clearly, Malorie had to overcome prejudice on her career aims (though she does admit that careers advisor - who she hated at the time, spurred her on to do better), expectations of what maybe a black woman in the UK could achieve at that time (secretary when she wanted something a bit more from life). Not only that, but racism...being told to 'go back to where-ever you come from,' even though she was born in England!
Don't give up. Especially if those around you say 'this won't work.' Keep your counsel, and do what is important to you. Make it work. You won't be able to convince everyone until JK Rowling-size cheques land on the floor in your home. Even if that doesn't happen to you, don't give up.
Don't give up. Because you don't have to go the traditional route to publish. The Writers and Artists book acknowledge the trend to 'self publish' titles. It's not vanity publishing. You write because you want to. Are You Tubers narcissists? Maybe some of them are. But some genuinely publish interesting stuff, get feedback, and are happy. Others upload every few days to feed their ego, and yes...the bank balance. Fair enough. No-one criticises them, do they?
Don't give up. Even when you look at your script and think 'who in the world would want to read this.'
I'm not feeding you hollow optimism. Writers write. It's as simple as that. It is a human desire to want feedback on it, so why not use whatever medium you need to get that feedback?
Write, enjoy the experience, and who knows, you may be the one who makes your life defined by it. Or define other's future!
Wishing all writers well. We can all learn from Malorie's determination and infectious belief. Of course, a famous author pushing you in the right way isn't a bad thing!
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