How to Be a Great Writer — Learn from Great Musicians
It’s a remarkably similar journey
I want to be a musician. I want to play the guitar.
I’ve decided I will buy a guitar and I will be a musician.
Is it really that easy? Well…No.
Possession of a tool does not make you a craftsman
First you get the guitar, then you learn how to play it, either with a teacher or on your own. Then once you know how to play it, you must practice regularly.
In time, with enough practice and effort, you will become a guitar player, a musician.
The same is true if you want to be a writer.
You can have all the special software, Scrivener, Grammarly, Hemingway App, ProWritingAid, or whatever is your favourite choice.
You can watch online courses on how to write, read all the articles on how to make thousands per month as a writer and search YouTube all day long (Been there, done that). But that still won’t make you a writer.
Just like wanting to be a musician, you have to put in the work. Having the tools and the know-how is only the start.
You’ve heard it before.
To be a writer, you have to write
There is no short cut.
The more often you practice the guitar the sooner you can play your favourite songs, and play them well. Writing is the same. You have to write often. The more regularly you write the sooner you will develop the skill of a good writer.
“Writers write” — Jeff Goins
If you write, you are a writer. Maybe not a good writer yet, but a writer.
I remember when I first started to learn the guitar. Other siblings in my family also wanted to play, so they too bought guitars. Unfortunately, they didn’t continue. They didn’t practice enough. I continued to work through the sore fingers and learned to play. My guitar has been my life-long friend ever since.
How often do you write?
Are you satisfied with the level of your writing skills?
Recently I heard that Eddie Van Halen passed away. He was an amazing guitar player. As a young man, he practiced a lot. He wanted to be a good guitar player. When he became a good player, did he stop learning or practicing?
No, he continued to practice everyday and learn new skills. He became, what some consider to be, one of the greatest guitar players of his generation.
Eddie practiced for hours and hours every day. He was fascinated by the guitar. He used to unplug his guitar and walk around the house practicing. He loved it.
The same is true for the great writers. They write every day.
In an interview, Earnest Hemingway said:
“When I am working on a book or a story I write every morning as soon after first light as possible. There is no one to disturb you and it is cool or cold and you come to your work and warm as you write. You read what you have written and, as you always stop when you know what is going to happen next, you go on from there.”
Hemingway had a method that worked for him. He chose to stop when he knew where the story was heading, so he was anxious to get back to it next time.
The point is to stay excited about your next writing session.
In his book “You are a Writer”, Jeff Goins said that most writers have hundreds of half-finished articles and a few book ideas started, but never finished.
Jeff explains that many writers suffer from Fear of Finishing. A fear of picking one thing and finishing it.
“Once you learn how to finish, you’ll be able to start again. You’ll start another great project and finish it. And another. And another.”
Have you experienced that?
But, you say, “I’m not a good writer. I was never good at writing in school”.
News flash
Even the best writers did not write well when they began. Even today their first drafts need work. That’s part of the writing process.
“I know some very great writers, writers you love who write beautifully and have made a great deal of money, and not one of them sits down routinely feeling wildly enthusiastic and confident. Not one of them writes elegant first drafts.” — Ann Lamott, Bird by Bird.
The same is true of musicians and song writers.
There may be a rush of inspiration in the creation of your newest work of art, but when you look at it a few days later, your new baby may need to be cleaned up. That’s normal.
Many famous songs were first written on scraps of paper, napkins, or anything available when the song came to them. These songs were usually edited or at least tweaked before the final version that we know today. Never mind the music production when recording it in the studio and the changes made there.
The Beatles hit song “Please Please Me” was written much slower than the final version. What if Lennon and McCartney waited until it was perfect before finishing it?
You can see where I’m going with this.
To be a writer is to write imperfect drafts
“Perfectionism means that you try desperately not to leave so much mess to clean up. But clutter and mess show us that life is being lived.” — Ann Lamott, Bird by Bird.
Never polish too much. Leave a little life in your writing. A little imperfection is more real to your reader.
Just write.
Once the bones are there, the skin can be added.
When learning to play the guitar, you have to start with simple chords, and practice even when your fingers are sore. Eventually, your fingers develop calluses and you can play those difficult chords without pain.
Writing is the same. There may be times when you don’t feel like doing it, but when you learn to love it, as Eddie Van Halen loved his guitar, you will push through and develop the skill of writing.
You may choose to learn to play the guitar.
You may choose to be a writer.
Accept imperfection and enjoy the journey.
The rewards will be great.
