The'How to' of Writing
Let's Take it Back to Basics
Most people think that writing begins with talent.
While there is an element of talent that makes it easier, it does not mean the art cannot be learnt.
I think writing begins with honesty.
With noticing something deeply enough that it asks to be expressed. A feeling. A memory. A thought. A sentence that arrives quietly while you are grocery shopping, walking home, sitting in traffic or lying awake at night.
Truth is, writing may not begin beautifully. The first attempt might be a mess.
It sometimes starts with a single unfinished sentence. Sometimes it starts with a fragmented thought. One that makes no sense yet. It might even begin with “I do not know how to explain this but…”
That still counts.
Many people overthink writing before they even begin. They become so concerned with sounding deep, woke, profound, polished or intelligent that they interrupt the natural flow of expression. And in doing so, they silence the very thing their soul is trying to say.
The first drafts are allowed to be messy. Heck the first 10 drafts are allowed to be messy. Raw. Unclear. Human
The beautiful ones come later, through refinement.
Personally, I still love the old school method of pen on paper, especially in the beginning. There is something grounding about physically writing your thoughts down.
But the process does not have to look the same for everyone.
Let's Take it Back to Basics
“Something sacred exists about a woman who rebuilds without losing her softness”
Almost everyone has a cellphone now, and honestly, many of my own ideas begin in the notes app on my phone. Random sentences. Concepts. Observations. Half formed thoughts written at inconvenient hours. I write them down before they disappear and later I return to refine them into something fuller.
That is exactly how writing works.
You collect fragments first. Then meaning reveals itself later.
One practical way to develop the art of writing is to simply practice observing more intentionally. Pay attention to your emotions. To people. To conversations. To ordinary moments. Writing grows when awareness grows.
Writing is cathartic. And I, personally, would like to see more healed people in the world.