Relax, My Writer Friend

Your story’s going to catch a wave and you can ride it all the way to the hot, sandy beach

If you’re like me, sometimes you think about your writing content and if you are working hard enough or doing well.

This is the life we live every single day.

Wouldn’t it be nice to just live the life of a surfer and do what you can to get out on the water, catch a giant wave and ride it all the way to the sand? That sounds pretty wonderful to me, dude.

In terms of writing a story, that would be equivalent to thinking of something good, putting it together, pressing the publish button, and then waiting for the praise and accolades to roll in like the north shore waves. That sounds gnarly, and I mean it in the very best way.

One summer night I was at the beach in Santa Monica with a few friends. It was midnight so we decided to jump in the water real quick (note: don’t do this at night). The problem was that the water was perfectly warm, almost unbelievably so, and my friend and I couldn’t believe it. Luckily, somebody screamed at us to get out of the water because it was dark which made it clearly dangerous.

“You two! Get out of there right now," yelled a man who looked like the police or maybe sheriff.

“It felt so wonderful," I said as we ran by.

“Are you two crazy or what? Never do that again if you want to stay alive.”

What does this have to do with writing? Well, I literally just lost myself in the telling of this true short story, lost emotionally that is because of this one evening in my life and the details I remember so clearly, and the utter realization of both the danger of it but the spectacular comfort and soothing warmth of the water. I can’t forget it if I tried.

The Writing Wave

When you get started on writing a story, try to find something that you want to share, where your memories are strong and potent. This makes the telling of the event rather easy, in my opinion, and all you have to do is type and explain what happened. Then it becomes fun and you can catch the wave of the fun writing process.

Once you get on your writing wave, it’s easy if you stay balanced. You can coast on the wave and stay on the surfboard all the way until the wave collapses, or you can keep writing until the story ends.

The Sharing Wave

Once you post your story, the rest is just about getting the attention you deserve. Think again to your being on the surfboard and riding a big wave out by the shore.

To get attention as a surfer, you need to have an audience of people watching, you need a big giant wave, then your riding of the wave better be impressive, and you need to keep it going as long as possible.

How do you do this same thing to the story you just published? It’s the same thing as surfing.

First, you need an audience. Make sure you have plenty of fans or followers, and do your best to engage with them. Say hello sometimes. Be friendly too.

Second, you need your story to be different, interesting, or captivating, and hopefully all three of those. Once published, have conversations in the comment section and stay on the wave.

Lastly, learn how you caught a wave for your story and why it became a success. Remember all of that for the next time when you are ready to try again.

When you’re ready to surf or write, try to relax. Do what you love to do at the best of your ability. And then ride a wave as long as humanly possible. Hang loose!

(Just a reminder, always swim when and where there are lifeguards on duty. Never swim at night or in dangerous conditions. Obey all posted signs at the beach or wherever you swim. Be on the lookout for sneaker waves and strong currents. Drownings occur too often in California and the rest of the world, so do everything possible to save lives where you surf. Make sure you have learned how to swim and wear life vests, life jackets or PFDs every chance you get. Be especially careful if you have children with you.)