Monday 26 January 2015

The Role of a Writer…

Recently, my son-in-law (SIL) told me about this documentary he watched in his university course about the penal system in the 1950s. He’s studying law enforcement and this documentary was a case study where they took students to live in a prison-like setting. Half the students were told that they were the prisoners and the other half were the guards. The take home message from this case study was that ALL the students fell into their roles and didn’t veer from them. If they were prisoners, then they were stuck in character. If guards, that’s who they became. This got me thinking. Our thoughts are so powerful. If we BELIEVE we’re writers, and practice this ROLE, then by God, we begin to FEEL like writers.

Sometimes it’s a matter of unplugging from the hard-wiring we’ve had growing up. As children, we fall into roles quite easily and sometimes are stuck in these roles for the rest of our lives. An ‘A’ student will always be the smart one. The ‘C’ student won’t. When I began the journey to be a published author, at first I thought only teachers or people with masters in English or in creative writing were good enough to be authors. It was a huge obstacle to overcome for me mentally, but overcome I did. I broke the mold that I was stuck in for years.

Once I retrained my mind, I developed a positive mental attitude, and I found that I started to feel free from the limitations I grew up with. It really didn’t matter if I didn’t possess an English degree or MFA, I knew I could learn to become a published author by sheer determination, perseverance, patience, and practice. I had the time to invest in following my heart, and I did.

I made a commitment. I scheduled my time. And I asked for support from my family or friends when I needed it. Remember the only thing holding you back from your writing aspirations is YOU. Break out of the role that’s keeping you from your dreams. You’ll be happier and healthier in the long run.

Thanks a heap for reading my blog. If you have time, please leave a comment and share what YOU do to create the role of writer for yourself. Cheers!

18 comments:

  1. Great post, Sharon. Anyone can break out of a role that limits them. You are one great role model!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now you've got me blushing, Rita! Thank you for your kind comment. And yes, we all have the power to do great things! Cheers!

      Delete
  2. I agree, Sharon. A positive attitude is mandatory in the writing business, because we have to deal with so much rejection. But I have to confess that when I started, it didn't occur to me that I couldn't write a book. I just did it. I think too many would-be writers are intimidated because they view writing a book as an enormous, frightening task. For me, it helped just to think of day by day, page by page. That way the light at the end of the tunnel doesn't look so far away and before you know it, you're writing those two blissful words: THE END..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great advice, Jan! You must have had wonderful self-esteem when you started writing. Kudos to you and thanks for your input!

      Delete
  3. Thank you, Sharon! I needed this today! Good Advice!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My pleasure, Sara! We're all in this writing journey together! Hugs!

      Delete
  4. You truly are the Queen. You are a positive person who goes beyond the call to encourage and support others. Thanks for this post. Came at just the right time.:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hugs, Sloane! Glad I could put a little sunshine in your day today! Salute!

      Delete
  5. When we travel (which admittedly isn't that often) I always put 'writer' as my occupation. It took me a while to be able to do this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Honestly, Vonnie, I had a problem with this. My mom suggested I say I'm an author, as it sound more prestigious. LOL! That's a mom for you! Hugs for your input!

      Delete
  6. Love this! Now to put it into action....

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yes, I've known plenty of writers who didn't think they were. You can guess, having gone through it yourself, how hard a time I've had convincing them otherwise!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True that, Danny! It's like fighting against the flow at times. Just keep believing in yourself!

      Delete
  8. Thanks Sharon. That's what I needed to hear today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're more than welcome, Melissa! Glad to have uplifted you! Cheers!

      Delete
  9. Great post. My degree is in Physical Education with a Masters degree in Health. Kind of unusual for a writer but many of us travel different paths in this challenging career.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is, but I bet you've used that degree in a book or two, Susan! Thanks for your valuable input! Cheers!

      Delete