7 mistakes to avoid in your quest to become a writer

As writers, we sometimes feel like members of an exclusive club. We can’t wait for others to ask us about what we do for a living. We wait, in baited breath, to nonchalantly talk about ecstasies and erroneous ways of being a writer. We want people to believe it isn’t a big deal. However, we secretly hope that they do.

At times, we get lost in our delusions of self-grandeur as a writer to the point that our writing abilities take a backseat. We stop trying to fine-tune our skills, and better ourselves in the process.

Writing is a bewildered beast. It gives us instincts. Some constructive and others – not so much. While it is impossible to tame any of them, we can always try to stop ourselves from spiraling out of control. And so, here are 7 things that you should ignore in your quest to become a writer.

1) Writing isn’t about becoming a best-selling author or an Internet sensation. That’s like Bruce Wayne wearing the bat suit just to get invited to costume parties.

2 Writing isn’t therapy. It is the couch. It is water and oxygen. Not a roll of tissues to dab on moist cheeks. Or a bowl of ice cream to drown your sorrows in.

3) Writing isn’t a strategy to seduce part-time lovers. Overcompensate for lack of charm. Get into their pants. That’s what fake childhood abuse stories are for.

4) Writing isn’t a celebration of exclusivity. Not a status symbol that glorifies social alienation either. When writers die, there will be no candlelight vigils held just because they were, by default, tormented artists who tried to change the world.

5) Writing isn’t magic. Good grammar cannot turn humble perceptions into transcendental opinions. A writer, with a flair for language, is, as much a philosopher as a really tall dude who thinks he is always right because people have to literally look up to him during a conversation.

6) Writing isn’t journalism. Then again, apples aren’t oranges.

7) Writing isn’t a science. There are no definitive formulas for success. None for failures either. Find your lady luck and a good publishing agent.

(Images: Pixabay)