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This is a common question how would you answer it?


Troy

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My name is ______________ I am a 27 year old woman from _______Tx. My hoppy is writing and I love it I have been writing since I was 10. I have begun to write a book about my life as well as a book of over 100 poems. I have no idea what to do with my writing. I do know that I have a story to tell and I believe that people will want to hear. Is it just a hobby or is there more to come like hidden talent. I have no idea how to even get anyone to read it or for me to even start out on my own. Can you please help me and tell me what I should do.

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I always ignore these emails as I don't have time to probe for additional information to provide a reasonable response to such a broad and open ended question.

I've updated my FAQ to deal with these types of questions, but I still get a bunch of these types of emails.

One side of me just wants to say, "Young lady/man everyone has a story to tell, but most people will not be interested in yours unless you are a celebrity or it involves a lot of sex; a combination of both is best [brace yourselves for the forthcoming Tiger Woods Story].

I would suggest taking a writing class or enrolloing in a writers workkshop. I'm assuming the person has no training in writing (actually determining this would take even more time). I see the writer did not bother to proof the email before sending it to me. Normally I don't care too much about typos in emails, but in this case it raises a red flag.

If someone asks a specific question I'm more likely to reply. Unfirtunately, these types of questions are more typical.

What would you do?

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Self-expression is an integral part of the human psyche, and it frequently seeks an outlet in the form of transmitting thoughts through writing. Self-aware people, however, know their strengths and weaknesses and seek to pursue what it is that they do best, realizing that not everybody has what it takes to be a writer.

Then there are self-absorbed people, the type who are convinced the world is breathlessly waiting to read what they have to say and that they have the ability to effectively utilize the printed word in telling their stories. All of which is why I would suggest that aspiring writers have their work critiqued by someone other than a family member or a friend. If they are deemed to have a natural talent, then hooray for them. Go for it! If their writing shows potential then they should, as Chrishayden advises, take writing courses to hone their skills.

But, as you allude to, Troy, the world really doesn't give a damn about what mundane folks have to say, and it can do without the narratives that turn out to be nothing more than showcases for a lack of talent. :huh:

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Taking a class also gives you the benefit of getting a knowledgeable opinion.

Speaking on critique of work I can tell from working on reviews that many authors don't really want the criticism either.

Interestingly I came across this post from Zane, on the old discussion board, while testing a change I'm making to the google search engine on this website [yeah as mundane as it might sound even that little query form requires some work].

At any rate, her input to the same problem was interesting: Link to Zane post

I am constantly receiving daily emails from people who want to become writers and ask for my guidance on how to start. That is a very vague question and my response is generally the same. The only way to become a writer is to sit down and do it. Writing is a solitary process and no two people have the same exact journey on their path to achieving their dreams. Writing should be about passion, the love of the craft, and the love of reading. It amazes when I hear that some writers do not read. Stephen King touched upon that in his book “On Writing.” If you never read, how do you know what good writing is comprised of?

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From reading, it seems as if the act of responding seemed to be a "chore" to you anyway, and it's like mama always said, if you don't have anything nice to say...shut up. Lol. My point is, yeah, the message was typo-ridden but it doesn't stop it from being a legitimate question. I do like Zane's approach. It helps to actually start writing. I think classes can be very discouraging, especially for new writers, you run the risk of coming into contact with people who have been in the "game" forever. It's simple, so this isn't just for her, it's for anyone who thinks they may want to write. If you're interested in writing...do it. Not the best speller? That's what editors are for. Now I will mention the difference in writing for leisurely purposes and getting published by someone other than yourself. But if the interest is there... do it. That simple.

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[in case anyone was actually interested in Reading Zane entire post here is the correct link]

Yeah, Tierra_allen it is a chore to reply to questions like these. The reasons I mentioned I'm sure adequately explain this.

Interestingly, I never heard anyone express the perspective of taking a class that you did in your last post.

I'm curious how you would respond to very email I posted at the top of the discussion. Would you mind posting your response here? Maybe I'll link them to Zane's response and your response here.

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Guest liono

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