The Craft of Writing

I spent most of my younger years believing that good writers simply woke up one day and poof! They were excellent writers. I thought they had a sixth sense; the sense of excellent writing and storytelling. As I've grown up and journeyed into the professional arena of writing, I’ve found that I am utterly and completely wrong.

It is true that some people have a natural talent to pen creative words on paper, but most of the successful writers of today are bondservants to practice. This jabbed a bit at childhood version of Jessica who thought quiet corners of cabins with smoky fires brought forth brilliant writings. You could easily find pre-teen me laying on my bedroom floor writing on a giant yellow legal pad about faraway lands or great adventures. My naivety lead me to believe that because I simply had ideas, one day I would be praised and honored from them. The yellow legal pad would be found in museums, and I would be crafting the art of my signature instead of good writing.  

To my surprise and shock, those stories on the legal pad did not end up on the New York Times Best Seller List.

They ended up in boxes or stuffed in bedside table drawers – never to be read by anyone else besides my mother. I thought the creative descriptions and a heartfelt effort would accelerate me to the top. Fast forward 15 years and I’ve learned that possessing a knack for something does not make you a professional, hour upon hours of practice does.

The weight of this lesson hit me hard when I was on The World Race and writing about unbelievable stories of God’s goodness with very few people reading them. It wasn’t because the content was lacking, it was simply because I was out of practice. So I focused, honed in, and got to work.

Since then I’ve developed a personal brand, as well as increased my professional experience in public relations and online writing. Here are some principles I’ve adopted and people I’ve followed on this writing journey:

1.   Read. This is the best advice I can give to any writer. When you are searching for your brand identity as a writer, see what the pros are doing. Follow professionals who you respect and learn from their mistakes and victories. This will also give you a great opportunity to see what type of writing style you prefer. I recommend Michael Hyatt, Jeff Goins, and John Saddington for writing tips, publishing, and blogging advice. For inspiration and an incredible storyteller to learn from, read some of C.S. Lewis’ works (@CSLewisDaily).

2.   Experience.  You can’t effectively engage people in your writing unless you are experiencing something new each day. Ride a bike, eat something new, or meet your neighbor, then write about it. A blogger mentor of mine wrote a great post on this very thing. The colors of the new fall leaves are much more inspiring than the glow of your computer screen.

3.   Learn. Always ask. As a writer, you should train yourself to investigate. Where is your new friend from? How did Michael Hyatt establish such a huge tribe of followers? Who does a red coffee bean turn into that thick, syrupy wake-up treat? Nowadays people are much more interested in the unusual than the day-to-day. Find a new way to intrigue and engage them.

4.   Write. Jeff Goins blogs constantly about this importance of writing and publishing your work. Your writing will never be perfect. There is no such thing. But you will never be good at your craft if you do not schedule yourself to practice consistently. Be ruthless with your practicing rule; no one is going to make you write, you have to do it yourself. 

I hope this encourages and inspires you today. You are not alone my friend! There are writers everywhere hoping to learn from what you create and be inspired by your thoughts. Focus. Hone in. Get to work.