Do you have what it takes to be a writer?
Take a quick quiz – and decide for yourself: Answer the following questions on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being least
- Do you look for the unexpected in everything you do?
- Do you look beyond the obvious?
- Do you have an insatiable curiosity?
- Do you see only what’s in front of you?
- Do you have many passions? Are you a jack of all trades? Do you dig in and get your hands dirty? (or are you singularly focused on putting words on paper?)
- Do you really pay attention to what’s happening around you?
- Are you a perennial student – always asking questions and looking for new discoveries?
- When you see something that catches your eye, do you take time to experience it – and, then, do you have a burning desire to share that experience with others?
Writers are often misunderstood. They often give the appearance of being flighty. Their work frequently is done at times when there’s no paper, pencil or computer anywhere to be seen.
Here’s a very simplistic example.
It’s March. Most, but certainly not all, of the snow is melted. Most of us are looking forward to Spring and spending a lot more time out of doors. But have you noticed that Spring is already here? Proof is in the pudding:
..
And yet another…
Now, not everyone is “into” plants or nature. You may have other interests. But in this particular case, most of us are so busy that we don’t even see that spring is busting out all over the place right now. We’re rushing from our cars to our homes to our offices and thinking of so many things that we’re missing the wonders that are right there in front of us.
How the heck can we share such marvelous experiences if we don’t take the time to discover, learn and experience the world we live in?
I’m so excited that I can’t stand it…I have to find out more about these plants and look for more. And I absolutely have to share what I’ve seen and learned with others. It may take only fifteen or twenty minutes to share the good news…but I will have spent easily several hours exploring and soaking up the emotion that comes with this new discovery. And then, moving forward, I may develop half a dozen uses this one experience – articles, reports, scenes in books… And, I’ll most likely expand this one interest, exploring and developing new markets among others who will appreciate the insights I’ve accumulated along the way.
Whether you decide that you’re a writer or not, I urge you. Take time to look beyond the obvious. There’s a whole world of wonder right there in front of you.