Writing advice from someone who is not a writer.

I am not a writer. This is my first article. But it isn’t my first time writing. Only the first time I have published anything.

I have always wanted to be a writer. And it’s not easy. But I guess I’ll go nowhere if I don’t embarass myself first. I have read a million articles on writing. Took every tip from every writer who has written about writing. They have all been helpful.

A few, however, always seem to stand out in my mind.

• Start with one honest line.

This tip was from Ernest Hemmingway. It works everytime for me. In fact, that’s how I started journaling comfortably. I always thought that it is good practice to keep a journal. And I would try to keep my entries clean and perfect but that’s where I was terribly wrong. Instead, I just needed to write. Starting a piece is hard. But starting with one honest line makes it considerably easier.

• Write what you know.

It’s not that you can’t write about things you have no idea about but it just makes it harder. I tried writing about many different subjects before this article. Some I didn’t know much about, like adulthood and maturity. Some I did know about but didn’t fully understand, like having an identity crisis. Either way, it didn’t come together very well.

What I know now, quite well, is how hard it is to write something that isn’t a journal entry. What I also know, is what got me through every time I was stuck. This is what I have decided to write about.

The last piece of advice may not actually be related to writing but it still fits.

• Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.

I’m not sure who actually said this. There are discussions on forums. The Dalai Lama and Picasso are always mentioned. But it doesn’t matter. The quote is brilliant. It is easier to write when you have some freedom. You do not need to worry about the length of your sentences as long as the words are simple enough and fit in there. The more freedom you allow yourself, the more fun it is to write. To really find what’s hidden inside, it’s best to let it flow. Write almost in way where the words come before the thoughts.

All of this helped me. I hope it does the same for you.

There are also the obvious things to do. Keep writing. Keep reading. Keep it simple and do it for yourself first.