On Being Young and Writing (as in; Snubbing Your Friends to Write)

It's difficult being young and trying to be a serious writer at the same time. It's hard at any age, admittedly, but when you're young, people expect you to act stupidly, impulsively, and socially. Media and societal norms have led all young people to believe that to be "normal" is to be social and care-free. While this is good some of the time - it is not good all of the time.

Going to parties, art exhibits, sledding hills, swing dances, and coffee houses are great ways to get ideas for stories and to unwind after a stressful day. However, if you do this every day, you won't get very much done.

Especially if writing is your goal, you need to set aside time to work. If you write fiction, this should be every day. If you write poetry, perhaps once per week (though you can write poetry every day if you like). Creating a schedule helps a person to stay on track. It's kind of like a New Year's Resolution, but it should last longer.

For example: I decided I was going to start this blog. To make sure I didn't abandon it after my second post, I made a schedule. I write a blog post every Monday after class. I can't do anything else until I think of a post - no matter how big and insightful or small and tedious.

When you're young, you want to appear "normal," but following your dreams can mean that you have to make difficult decisions. Sometimes this means you have to snub your friends and their plans and instead stick to your schedule.

If you want it, you work for it. If you work for it, you can achieve it.