I normally don’t like to quote from the book but I like what this had to say:
“I learned to swim from a magazine article I read when I was eight years old. It told me to grab my knees, duck my head, form a tight little ball in the water, and then float. The next step was to stretch out and continue to float. I did exactly what the article said to do, and lo and behold, it worked. I got my arms going at some point, and I was a swimmer. It’s kind of like writing: get a paper and a pen, start with a writing prompt — and you’re writing. Faith that you’ll float and not sink has a lot to do with it.”
I love this. Writing used to scare the pants off me. I never had any confidence in myself that I could be a writer. Since I can remember all the way through graduating from high school, I struggled with English. Grammar was so difficult for me, and to be honest, it still isn’t my strength. However, I think God has slowly but surely been preparing me to be a writer. I’ve learned that being a writer doesn’t mean you have to be good at grammar. That’s what editors are for. However, being able to not only tell a story but one that is actually interesting, is what makes someone not just a writer but an author. It’s why we like Jane Austin, Stephen King, Nicholas Sparks, and Janette Oke. They know how to tell a story that is not only written well but they know how to draw the reader in and hook them to where they want to continue reading other books they put out as well.
So, one day I finally called myself a writer. I started my fiction book and have been learning ever since. And in the end I’ve loved doing it.
