Four tips that will keep you in good stead

Tip 1: Write. Write regularly.

Lots of people say that they have some good ideas and want to write about it too. Atleast, as a blog. But they don't have time, they lamely add. Well, How many times have you heard of the phrase, 'Ideas are dime a dozen'. You figure it out.

You go to work 5 days a week, 4 weeks a month and 12 months a year. You need to if you have to hold a job. And so should you write regularly if you intend to make anything out of it.

Writing is lot like working in that sense.


Tip 2: Have a ball.

Few have written a couple of short stories and then have stopped because they dont see it going anywhere. 'Well, what is the point? Its not that publishers are queueing up in front of my house, anyway.' is their logic.

You have played street cricket as a kid, right? Do you remember the day the when the older boys took you in to their team the first time? As the last player to bat. Do you? Did you quit playing cricket that night because you were not called for Indian cricket team? No. You just went out and enjoyed cricket. Only few land up in the Indian team. But all enjoy playing cricket. Now why should writing be any different?

Writing is like playing too.

Tip 3: Learn the craft.

OK. You write regularly. You enjoy it too and dont bother about getting published. What next? You have got to learn to write the correct way. Is there a correct way? Of course, yes. Few people will instinctly get it. But all can learn it. Hard to believe?
Or are you the type who prefers breaking the rule? Well, even to break you should learn the rules.

If you are a programmer, you will learn the importance of the craft. Remember your first program. The crash because of the null pointer. You took hours to write a ten line program. How do you fare now? Is it because you wrote programs everyday or is it because you decided you will learn about pointers. If you are not a programmer, try the example of swimming. Did you thrash the pool the first day unable to breathe in the water. How did you start gliding in the water? Did it happen just because you went to the pool daily. Or is it because you concentrated on learning the breathing technique.

Writing is just like any other skill that way.

Tip 4: Open up.

Eventually there come a point where you would like opinions from others. We all seek to be noticed, preferably in favourable light, right? Well, the reaction of somebody to your first literary creation will more often than not reflect how much they love you than how good the output is. 'Wow! It is great' means the person is your spouse. 'I like it. It is very good.' means the peson is your friend. 'Well, I read the first paragraph. But then something came up.' is probably the comment from that not so close acquaintance.

So it is better to find someone who does not care about your fragile ego. And someone who loves reading and reads a lot. Eventually, how popular your writing becomes will be decided by how good your writing is. No short cuts there.

Writing is lot like life that way.