Stop Aspiring! (Courtesy of Yoda, Nike, and Spaceballs)

I love meeting new Creatives online, whether it’s on Twitter or elsewhere. Talking to other writers nourishes my artist soul and inspires me to strive for excellence.

But there’s something I’ve seen far too often on the Twitterverse. Everywhere there are profiles touting “Aspiring Author.” To most this might not stand out, but it really grates on me, especially with how prevalent these labels have become. Here’s why.

If you are aspiring to be a writer, it means you aren’t currently one.

It’s like branding yourself “Wannabe Writer,” and believe me, there are plenty of people out there who claim that, too. When you create a profile on Facebook or Twitter, you’re creating a brand. Do you really want to brand yourself a wannabe?

A Wannabe in The Digital Age

The Internet has really lowered the formalities. We’re all overly truthful online (while simultaneously creating false assumptions), with no qualms about what we’re letting the world know, probably because they don’t feel like real people when it’s digital communication. Maybe this admittance of being a “wannabe” falls under that category. It’s understandable. There’s something freeing about being brutally honest about things that should embarrass us. But I keep going back to this: is that how you want to brand yourself?

Telling us you’re a writer who’s aspiring isn’t very specific. To what do you aspire? Fame? Best-seller status? To make enough money that you can quit your day job?

I’m a writer, and yes, of course I’m aspiring to something—many things, actually. But doesn’t the “aspiring” part go without saying? Don’t all of us aspire to higher things? If you’re a writer who doesn’t aspire, doesn’t that negate the point?

You may be wanting to lash out and correct me by saying that you’re not aspiring to be a writer, you are a writer who is aspiring, for gosh sakes! Oh, the technicalities.

That may be the case. Maybe you already are a writer. But I believe few of the “Aspiring Writers” out there are actually writing.

Take it from Yoda (or Nike, your pick)

If you’re aspiring to be a writer, I feel I must give you the wise advice of an old, green sage.

Do or do not. There is no try.

 

Ask yourself this: what does it take to be a writer? Only one thing: you gotta write stuff down.

That’s it. Maybe what you write is good, maybe it isn’t; but either way, it makes you a writer. So quit all this aspiring business.

Just do it.

Ludicrous Speed Ahead

Maybe you’re stuck at “aspiring” status, because you’re preparing. Thinking about all the writing that goes into a book is overwhelming, and one must e ready—right? You want to be mentally prepared for the task, and not jump in willy-nilly. If that’s the case, I’ll give you some advice from Spaceballs:

It might feel a little bit crazy to just start writing. Putting that pen to paper (or fingers to keys) without a plan? Insane, right? Maybe a little.

But to achieve anything it takes action. You have to quit thinking about, talking about, hoping for, aspiring, and DO.

What are you waiting for?

Ludicrous Speed Ahead.

~

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