It’s Time to Write!

It’s Time to Write!
by Arlene Kaptur

The Internet is chock full of websites that offer books for sale. There are hard-covered books, soft-covered books, as well as e-books. The web offers audio books and coloring books.

Whatever book style you prefer, chances are that you will find it on the web. Some are free of charge, while others range from inexpensive to -tack-it-on-to-the-house-payment price tag.

Did you ever wonder who in cyberspace is writing all those books? The answer is simple - writers like you and me. Ordinary, everyday people who have one trait in common. This particular link or characteristic in every writer is there, just lurking behind the keyboard, in the file cabinet, or even in your dictionary.

This mischievous imp has a name. His/her name is simply: HEART. Without HEART, nothing on that piece of paper will make sense. It will never inspire, educate, or energize. It will never see laughter, tears, or hope.

You write because in your HEART you believe that you have something to share, information to impart, or you just feel you have to reach out and touch someone. No author of worth buys into the concept that you should just write, write, write. Sure, you could finish six books in six days, but all they will be is ink on paper. However, the one that you write with HEART will become the next bestseller, the made-for-TV movie, and yes, even the next Oscar winner.

If you write from the HEART, your thoughts and words will find an audience. They will jump off the shelves and into the lives of those who are looking for inspiration or intrigue. You will have touched the heart and caused tears of joy or sorrow, or you will have tickled someone's funny bone. Without even being aware of it, your literary work will become a part of someone's life - they will remember it, recall it, and return to it. Whether they liked it or not, depends on the reader; however, you did your job as best you could (HEART) and now they will have to interpret the words for themselves.

The most frequent lament from new writers is: Every book out there is better than mine OR I can't do as great a job OR Who would want to read what I have to say?

Please don't give credibility to these false impressions. No, not everyone will pick up your book, but neither did everyone understand Shakespeare. Faulkner had bad reviews, and so did Charles Dickens. There were readers out there that did not like their particular style, the subject matter they chose, or the way they portrayed their characters. Today they are literary geniuses and they perfected literature so that generations could enjoy their writing.

We write something and we are not pleased with it. Most writers will write from their HEART, but then they let their minds take over. They try to outguess the readers. What do THEY want to read, how would THEY like me to pursue this? Some writers even carry this to the extreme - they write only what they believe someone will buy. This is not writing - this falls in a low category of marketing. Yes, making money from your writing is important - but how about your reputation, self-esteem, and ego. Really, the important questions is: Do you want to just make money or do you want to write masterpieces?

The most brilliant works of literature, written by the author geniuses, were and are just people with something to say. This is as it should be and the monetary incentives will follow. You can't put the cart in front of the horse – because you really won't get too far.

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