By: Cynthia Hamilton
Below is some writing advice for new writers from author Cynthia Hamilton. Below Hamilton shares her writing history. She also explains what worked for her when breaking into the business. So, if you’re new to the writing game, figure out what inspires you to write and what practices will help get you there. And be sure to follow Cynthia Hamilton on social media.
The hesitation of starting to write
For many would-be writers, the most daunting prospect is just making a start. Staring at a blank sheet of paper or computer screen can be paralyzing. There’s so much focus on constructing a captivating first sentence; if it doesn’t scream POTENTIAL, it can squash a person’s faith in themselves.
Had I come to the conclusion that I wanted to be a writer, I feel pretty certain this would’ve happened to me, and I probably would’ve abandoned the idea after a hyper-critical self-review. As it happened, I became a writer in a roundabout fashion when I was looking for something I could do if my mystery illness left me unable to get out of bed. I figured with a laptop, I could write. I completely overlooked my conviction that I couldn’t write to safe my life. Ironically, writing became the thing that saved my desire for life and my sanity.
As I continued to deteriorate, I started hatching my plan. The one writing adage that came to me was write about what you know. That was my first stumbling block. I was forty-two-years old, but I didn’t think I knew anything worth writing about.
A realization
But one day while taking a walk with my husband, I realized there was something I knew about that was actually rather curious, something that periodically haunted my thoughts. As I watched two hawks circling overhead, I recalled the memorial service for a flamboyant friend and his daughter’s touching eulogy, in which she spoke of how they would keep track of how many hawks they saw when out in the country.
Just like that, the events surrounding our friend’s death crystalized in my mind, reminding me of my skepticism about his death; he was simply too full of life, to much a man of the world to have driven his car off a cliff in some remote beach town in Mexico…
Writing a book
And that was all it took to spur my creativity and toss doubt aside. The story trampled its way out of my mind and onto the computer screen. 365 days and 135,000 words later, I finished my first book, written secretly because I didn’t want the pressure of anyone else’s expectations. It was a real book—with a beginning, middle, twist and end. I was so overjoyed and hooked on writing, I began my second book the same day.
The day I started writing, I wrote two paragraphs. No need to go crazy on the first day, I thought, my mind was quivering with excitement. I now consider those first two books practice books. I have published the last nine, taking the self-pub route because it suits my need for controlling my works.
So, my advice to anyone who’d like to try their hand at writing is to approach it without expectations or self-inflicted pressure. Jot down whatever strikes your fancy, whatever moves you. Do not judge your work. Simply let it flow. If it bothers you, get rid of it and let your thoughts wander. Get up and go do something else. If your creativity is anything like mine, it will show itself at the most inconvenient times. Try to throw a net over it and get down as much as you can. Somewhere in the process, things will start clicking, and you will be thrilled with yourself!
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I love writing. My blog is a great outlet for that, but one day I’d really love to gain the confidence to write a real book!