I feel like my life is a bit of a piñata right now. I’d always dreamt of publishing a book, and here I am at the cusp of 24 looking the sum of my work for the past few years in the face. It’s here. It happened. And it feels so good.
In honor of this, I thought I’d share some of my thoughts on writing, and what it takes to become a writer.
First thing first, let me start by saying, it is not an easy task. But as you watch your story unfold and come to life in front of you, all the struggles become worth it.
Take the piñata for example. Strip it of its colors and frilly papers, take away the streamers and bows, and you have a rather ugly looking wad of cardboard. It’s raw, it’s dull. Defined in some places, but lacking in many others.
How do we take this rudimentary structure and transform it into something better?
Have you ever noticed that most piñatas are covered in layer after layer of paper? Somebody could’ve easily just painted over the base, but instead they chose to make the painstaking effort to wrap the thing in endless strips of easily ripped paper.
Writing takes work. You need to do it often. Every day if you can. Over and over again. That draft you wrote? Draft it again. That idea you have? Journal it. The characters and worlds you build need to breath within the pages you write, constantly changing and evolving. Only through this extensive and repetitive process, will you be able to create something incredible.
I know it’s not much in the ways of earth-shattering insight. It’s probably something you’ve heard before. But here’s the simply truth, that’s what I did. And it worked.
Your dreams are possible. Go for them. Shoot for them as hard as you can. Don’t let anything deter you. If you only knew just how close you are to reaching your goals, you wouldn’t think twice about the journey to get there.
I’m gonna go smash a piñata now.