The Question New Writers Must Ask Themselves
And why the answer matters so much
I haven’t posted on Medium in a few weeks, but it’s not because of any concern over how the platform is performing.
I’ve posted little lately because the only advice I feel comfortable offering writers seeking to find their footing is negative. And, by negative, I don’t mean angry or mean-spirited; I mean, it focuses on what new writers shouldn’t do. Things like, “Don’t spend all your time reading articles or books on writing” and “Don’t spend all day attending webinars or discussing what you aspire to be in chat rooms.”
This negative mindset serves a purpose, though. It reveals a bigger issue many writers struggle with, even those that have been doing it for years.
It comes down to one simple concept:
A writer writes.
You can adjust or overhaul anything you don’t think is good enough later. But if you have nothing to work with… Well, this means all the talk about writing is just that — talk with nothing tangible to show for it.
This begs the following question of all writers, especially those just starting out:
Are you a writer or a dreamer?
