How to Make Your Writing Caper Worth the Risk
Writing Up A Storm
An Intriguing Caper
Today, I am on a mission, an intriguing caper that many writers go on, often without realizing it. The caper of cautiously achieving my purpose by easing into your reality.
Oh, I know. I can’t read your mind. I wish I could. Many writers attempt to read the mind’s of others. Just so they can acquire the stats necessary to call themselves a success. And most fail. Simply because they are more intent on satisfying their own needs than yours.
And sure, I also want to become a well-read and well-paid writer. But to do that, I know that it’s fatal to be complacent and unconcerned about what you, as a reader, really wants.
Milking the Cow
I also know that it’s futile to try to fool you. For most readers are skeptical about what a writer says. Because they know that words are easier to put on the screen than the effort needed to milk a cow.
And whether milking the cow just to ease her stress after weaning her calf is fruitful or not depends on who you’re feeding. Trying to feed milk to someone who is lactose intolerant is risky. As well as unwise.
Even though the cow may feel better, the milk goes to waste.
Just like you, the writer, may feel good about what you write. But your words are wasted when you don’t consider who you’re trying to feed them to.
Because writing about writing is useless to those who don’t write.
And since I am a writer, writing about writing, you may want to know more about the caper I am engaging in.
The Risk of Writing
Not for my sake. Not for the sake of how many views and followers I will get. But for your sake. For the number of views and followers … and subscribers … that could possibly become yours.
For we live in very risky times. The risk is great that one wrong word, one misplaced thought, one irreversible idea, will cause your writing caper to come down upon your head like a chandelier falling from the ceiling in a tornado.
And everyone knows you don’t put a chandelier in a barn. Or elegant ideas in a down-to-earth piece of writing desired by most people. Especially farm-raised people.
Because an emotional tornado is often created by the tumultuous trends of uncertainty that life around us whips up out of seemingly nothing but misplaced advice.
The Winds of Discontent
Or a misplaced bunch of words. And no matter who you are, where you are, or what you do, you can’t control a tornado. But you can often control the direction and the strength of the winds of discontent that come your way.
Simply by directing your words, ideas, and thoughts to someone who cares about your subject of thought.
But when you find yourself bucking the wind and trying to keep your feet merely because you let something slip, and said something inappropriate … like maybe the fact that you don’t like the current trend of writers putting out so much content merely as a weapon to wield against the algorithms, to sway the system in their favor …
You not only risk your chances of succeeding. But you risk putting your readers in the same danger. For everyone already knows that when you follow the leader, you end up in the same storm as those who you’re following.
And the glut in the publishing world is like that tornado. It has the power to push you in directions that you don’t really want to go.
Caught in the Downdraft?
So how are you supposed to learn to write in the present publishing scenario where most of what is written ends up as unread fodder?
And how are you supposed to become successful when those who are successful keep advising you to add to the glut with their words of wisdom that “the system works for those who work the system?”
And the truth is, you have to be so persistent and determined that you don’t foolishly leave your first drafts, or even your second or third drafts, loose in a world where they can easily get caught up in the system’s downdraft.
In other words, before you publish, you edit the heck out of what you write. You make sure it says what you have to say, in the best way that you can possibly say it.
And you make sure that you are talking to the right person, the person you meant to talk to. And that you say something important enough for your reader to invest her time on.
The Most Important Caper of Your Career
For the most important caper of your writing career is your choosing to create a positive emotional response in your reader.
And that requires you to develop your ability to get a reader to feel what you want her to feel, think what you want her to think, and experience what you want her to experience.
And it all comes down to your stirring up an emotional storm in your reader’s mind. Thus, your task is to learn how to rouse the winds of opinion by promising just the right things, picking just the right words, pitching just the right story.
And learning to earn the stirring of the rains of understanding in your reader’s soul.
And you can’t do any of that without writing. Lots of writing. Pouring out your fears and tears that are raging storms inside of you. And thereby, claiming your place in the publishing glut.
For when you have learned to speak from your heart in ways that are heard by the hearts of others, your dreams of being a real writer are only seconds away from being realized.
Storms of Doubt
Yet, even in those few seconds before someone says. “Hey! I just read your post and loved it!” your self-doubt still threatens to stir up a storm of its own.
Because no matter how many views, followers and subscribers … or even raving fans … you acquire, your inner storm rages on.
You keep asking the same questions over and over: Am I a good writer? Will I ever be good enough? Is there any possibility of me ever being one of the great writers?
As well as the question, Is going out in that storm every day really worth it?
And if you really want to be a writer, the answer is an intense, “Yes!” Simply because doubt about one’s ability is the driving force behind even a great writer’s insatiable need to keep improving.
Driving Your Reader’s Desires
But, since you’re also striving to create an exciting, adventurous caper for your own readers to experience, you realize your success depends entirely on your developing the skills to create an appealing, pleasant emotional reaction. In other words, your words must drive your reader’s desires.
Drive your reader to do exactly what you want her to do: read.
And then buy into what you’re offering.
When you can do that, the world seems to throw itself in your arms to give you a big hug.
Writng Up a Storm Cloud
But, I’m not waiting for that to happen. I’m too busy working … and writing. Writing up a storm cloud or two.
So, what about you?
What are you doing to calm that inner storm called doubt? What kinds of capers are your creating to nudge the favor of God and readers in your direction?
In other words, are you writing enough to add your share of words to that inglorious publishing glut? Because, the truth is, you need experience to learn how to drive your readers wild.
And writing is how you gain that experience.
Your choice to write means you have as good a chance as anyone to say something that could go viral and actually be read by millions.
So, take a chance. Run the risk. The worse that could happen … is someone may get upset with you. And the best that could happen is … it’s your chance to make your dream real.