Dear Future Writer,
Go have fun out there!
I hope you embrace your desire to write with wild abandon! I hope you buy lots of brightly colored journals and purple fountain pens and colored pencils and my old standby, gloriously soft pencils which make a wonderful scratch, scratch noise when they glide across paper.
I hope you sit out under trees when you write or curl up with a blanket watching the way the rain falls before you try to write that storm scene.
And I hope you embrace your mistakes. Here’s to throwing your head back and laughing out loud when someone points out that at the beginning of your story one character’s name was Wade then two chapters later it was Eric. (Yes, I did that!) Or when someone points out during the exciting conclusion to your mystery the hero slashes his way through the woods then climbs a tree in order to break a window to get into the abandoned house to save the girl, while the killer drives up the driveway and opens the clearly unlocked the front door. (Yes, I did that too!)
Don’t get all down in the mouth about these obvious major plot point mistakes. Laugh with them, but tell them the truth…you were so caught up in the story you didn’t notice.
Of course you should fix these things….
Remember, when you write it is just like being in a relationship. It’s fun and exciting and hard and messy and frustrating and joyful and easy and comfortable and full of anxious moments balanced with the love of it.
Go out there and experience all of it.
And if you can find other writers to be with. Trust me, there is no better felling than being able to talk to someone else who shares the “story in my head” affliction. They get it. They won’t judge or discourage you. They may expect as much of you as a Russian gymnastics coach, but they will be more supportive than…than….okay I sat too long trying to come up with a super supportive stereotype, but I’m stumped- so I’ll just say “the most supportive person you ever encountered.” Give me some suggestions and I will revise!
Good luck!
Have fun!
And please mention this blog post in your first bestseller dedication page.
Love, Meg
purple ink writers 