Written by Miss Desiree Diane Prins and Mr Sivuyile Tshalana.
Writing is an entity that directs your journey. It’s a conversation that cleanses the souls of lovers of liberty and wisdom, the chauvinist and the feminist, the timid and the bold. It’s a voice for freedom fighters and activists. Writing is growth in the wilds and rocks of untraversed deserts, it brings out a light fragrance which brings autumn and vitality. Writing is a journey to free will as it liberates those trapped in prisons cells of toxicity, anxiety and depression. Writing takes you to forests of black and blue flowers where you’ll be serenaded by the sound of the melody of birds while you are decompressing in the quietness of solitude, trying to find inspiration or rather a muse for your next phenomenal piece.
When you write you have to pour all your emotions on your piece that you're writing. It's a daunting task to do as you have to think about the reader too. The message that you want to convey has to come out the way you want it. At times you may not get it correctly and it's okay since nobody is perfect. It's always important for writers to write what they like or love as that will then spread to the reader. If writers believe in their work, then it will show in their work. Passion is a necessity in writing. When you choose to go to the world as a writer, then you must be able to adapt to different feedback and constructive criticism.
Writing is a journey, that unravels romance, drama, thriller, horror, realism, satire you name it. Therein, to deliver a satisfactory piece you need to go on a journey you didn’t prepare yourself to go on. Writing involves trying to make sense of the world and pouring out emotions, but depending on the piece at hand. A journey to writing can be easily described as a mind map and a rough draft. It consists of impulse emotion and drives, telling anecdote of events that took place in your life, sometimes of what you might have heard here and there. In that, we hear voices in our heads that we cannot ignore but to put on paper. Writing is an adventure of having to record fiction, non-fiction, stories, memories, with hopes that your piece will be good enough to make it for publication.
It's a process to write, as it starts from brainstorming ideas of what to write about in your piece. Who's the target market? Where to publish the piece? Who are you going to work within the whole creation process? Do you have a good budget to cover all the writing expenses, like editing, marketing, publishing and the production of books? Even if self-doubt starts crawling in like a thief at night coming to steal your light or your success. Do yourself a favour and stop overthinking. To make it easier for every writer out there in the world, self-confidence has a lot to do with being a successful writer. As a writer, you have to trust and believe in your work. Not everyone is going to love your work which is alright.
In the journey of writing, there is an adventure and, a writer that has to find his or her destination and voice. To find that voice and destination is a journey that could lead to a work of art or a piece that can end up being published. Therefore, the journey to writing is more than just a mind map, a rough draft and a final draft. It's in-depth, it has blood, sweat and tears but it can unravel healing if you find your voice and destination. It is through practice, failing and not giving up that makes it all worth it at the end. In writing, talent isn't enough, consistency, hard work and believing in your work are crucial. It's a matter of reading more books, blogs, articles, even attending writing courses, listening to podcasts about writing and even watching more videos about your favourite writers. Just do anything in your power that will upgrade your knowledge and make you a better writer. The journey doesn't end now, it's only the beginning. Buckle up, have fun and enjoy the beautiful journey of writing.