“This is How to Succeed as a Writer.” Says Thought

Today after my morning devotion I decided to return to bed for the second round of dreams.

I was dog-worn out and couldn’t write a thing because my desire to succeed as a writer burdened my heart. Just before I sunk into Slumberland, an interesting thought knocked at the rear door. Part of me wanted to ignore it. But no thought opts for the rear door for empty chitchats. So the urge to find out what this was all about won.

“How can you hate the same thing you passionately pursue?” It whispered.

“Say what now?”

“You know what I mean.”

“Do I?”

“Ok, let me repaint your words from yesterday.”

By this time my heart was wading up to my mouth. My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. Coward!

I couldn’t remember any conversation where I spoke against anything I craved. Whether in writing or in the secret conversations in my heart. And trust me, the latter can turn dirty. Especially now that I’m forty-something. Need for deliverance detected. This thought must have knocked at the wrong door.

Say What You Mean, or Shut!

“While strolling with your daughter yesterday, you kept referring to the 10-story buildings in your estate as ‘slums in crates of milk'” Thought pointed out poking my hippocampus with the first and third tentacles repeatedly. “But aren’t you the same person who has been praying to own five cool 3-bedroom homes? Beachfront homes to be precise?”

“Y-y-yeeeeeaaaahhhh….” I whimpered. Sighed. Tried to clear my throat. Then signed again, this time simmering in shame.

“Make. Up. Your. Mind. Woman!” Thought raised its voice several decibels with each word. “You can’t hate the same thing you constantly text heavens to give you. A house is a house, is a house, is a house! How many houses did I mention?”

“Four.”

“One more for you then!”

I would have giggled. But no one does that when caught in a mess pants down.

How did I get entangled in this though?

Succeeding As A Writer, The Attitude Way

“Words have power, remember?” Thought continued.

That much I knew. Duh! I began introducing myself in private and public as a writer way before I started my blog (this magazine that is). Before I even published my first book, Millions of Robots.

The more I said 'I am a writer', the more I wrote, and the more I wrote, the more I felt the writer in me deep in my bones! Click To Tweet

And with more practice came perfect. That came in form of confidence to type an article like this on my phone, instead of a laptop, and post it on my blog without shame. Thanks to Canva App’s easy-to-manoeuvre graphics, each article can now boast of personalized images.

But the game doesn’t stop there. The process also boasts of tens of books I have ghostwritten for clients around the world. Gracias a Dios Todopoderoso!

So, yes, words have power. I write the last two paragraphs above in humility, not pride, to encourage anyone who desires the anointing of a writer. Receive it, friend!

Never Dishonour the Talent

“So when you desire something and someone else has a version of it, even if in a form you don’t approve of, it’s foolish to speak ill of it.” Thought explained. “Or them for that matter. Because it contradicts your request.”

You can’t expect to become a good writer and win remarkable clients when you, on the same frequency, believe bestselling authors are but fraudsters. You are dishonouring the same talent you desire instead of working on it.

It then dawned on me that I had deployed my tongue to demolish other people’s homes while at the same time seeking the same for myself. And the worst part of this narrative was that both homes were rentals. How foolish!

“What now?” I asked sheepishly. Not that I knew what to do anyway.

“I know you don’t believe in piling people one on top of the other like the owners of those buildings. That’s just a difference in ethics or something else in that neighbourhood. But you have no right to judge them.”

Bitterness? It’s Not Right, But Let it Go

I thought I did. And this is why.

Imagine your neighbour of over three decades demolishing their beautiful 2-story home and raising a mighty 10-story structure in its place. That would blind your little home from the romantic sunrise or sunset. Or some other beautiful view. Not to mention the end of the coveted neighbourliness.

And for what?

Sliding more Vitamin M pills into their wallets?

Seriously? What happened to being considerate of neighbours?

And that takes only one city council officer with a belly running from the nose to the toes to approve such a structure. But again, if you own the land, to hell with the neighbours, right?

Sadly so. Neighbourliness is no longer on the menu of some folks’ lives.

That leaves the thought of an author writing a book, posting it on Amazon then paying thousands of people to buy the same book over a season so it can appear as a bestseller on the ethics scale, doesn’t it?

But for you and I who consider being human more important than answering to ‘human being’, listening to and adhering to Thought’s words may be neighbourliness’ only saviour.

… But Even If It’s Unethical

I nodded at Thought. It was right. By this time Thought stood on its four hind tentacles with the other four planted on its waistline in a ‘point made’ position. I may not approve of the 10-story buildings cramped in a small, partly impoverished island, but judging the owners wasn’t any holier.

In the same way, there are many bestselling books you may not agree qualify for the title, but that doesn’t make them less of that. And though you are entitled to your opinion, such is best left in your mental gym where you can tone its muscles to birth that edifying book you have been dying to write.

And even if that book doesn’t ace the bestselling title, hold no bitterness towards those that have. Such an attitude will only encourage ulcers in your belly. Totally uncalled for.

This rule applies to all creatives in the world.

Set the Success Atmosphere

However, if you celebrate these top authors, you create an atmosphere of receiving in and around you. Such allows you to not only read their supposed unreadable content cover to cover but also study it and understand why other people claim it isn’t easy to read. That ‘why’ is the hidden gem you need to unveil while writing your next book. This process is in actual sense mentorship which you could have paid a writing coach millions of dollars to get. But this time you get it for free.

All Thought was saying is Showing love for others’ works, especially in your desired domain, is the right attitude to uphold. It primes your mind for learning. This is the process of creating and maintaining a receiving atmosphere. Click To Tweet Whether you want to succeed as a writer or own cool rentals.

“Ok, I will look at the buildings, acknowledge their presence, and let them be. Without judging.” I resolved.

“Way to go Mama!” Thought responded with an ounce of excitement in its voice. “Without judging.”

“There’s one more thing.” Thought hinted while opening the door to my hippocampus. “Keep watering your five beachfront homes dream, just as you did your writing dream. Create and maintain the receiving atmosphere up here around it.”

Writing From the Point of Love

Thought explained that developers in my area failed to innovate around recycling as much waste as possible to make biogas or related products and reduce pollution. The tenants could then use the end products in their homes and cut down on fuel expenses. That would also make the homes more favourable than others in the area. While this sounds like an expensive investment in the owners’ column, it could also mean a new stream of income.

What does this mean to you who desire to succeed as a writer?

Instead of hating on bestselling authors, or bloggers in your niche with thousands of readers per day, innovate around ways to keep readers hooked on your content. Break old writing rules if you have to. You won’t die. Write a book with text flowing diagonally on some pages so the reader turns the book in various angles to read. Go crazy. But never hate on those who are successful in what you desire.

“If you invest in writing for the love of humanity, not the scrabble for riches, you will have more freedoms than you can care to count.” Thought whispered as the doors of my eyes shut. “That’s how to succeed as a writer. Or whatever else.”