Notes to My Beginning Writer Self: On the journey
Dear Me Then,
Once, when you were eighteen and buzzing with hormones, you had a fight with your boyfriend Andy, who was almost a thousand miles away. After he hung up on you, you thought the only solution was to drive down and see him. It was eight P.M. If you left immediately, you could get there before he started his shift in the morning, and he’d be so thrilled to see you that everything from then on would be magic.
Your decision to become a professional writer will be like that.
At first, there’ll be drama. Then you’ll reach a moment when you think, to hell with everything else — this is what I have to do. You’ll set out in a burst of excitement. Your energy will take you just far enough to make it impossible to turn back. And then you’ll realize you have no idea how to get there.
That’s okay. Remember what I said in my first note about setting goals? I said you don’t have to. You should roam as long as you like, because writing is not a career path; it’s a journey. And none of your worries about “getting somewhere” will make you a better writer or a happier person.
That being said, I know you won’t wander long. You’ll start looking for structure and purpose to give yourself a sense of accomplishment. When that day comes, if I could offer you one piece…
