It's been over a decade now since I had fiction published. Articles with my name on them are all over the web and in magazines, but nothing from the fantastic mess that is my imagination. Certainly not for a lack of desire.
It's hard to explain to someone who doesn't have the writing bug. I had the term "aspiring writer". Either you are a writer or you're not. It's like a little voice sitting in the back of your mind every day that won't quiet down until you've expressed what it's saying on paper. It's a drive to let words flow out on paper that hits you frequently and drives your passion. If you have the drive and the passion for it, you're a writer. It doesn't matter if a publisher has even seen your work yet.
So what's someone with a compulsion to write to do? Make a plan, and even if you don't manage to follow that plan exactly, just write. Write your story and when you're having trouble with that one, work on another story or find another outlet for your craft. Never stop writing. Write like your life depends on it. Write until that little voice in your head has nothing else it could possibly say and you're all out of ideas for the day.
Those with the drive to write know the disappointment that comes with not giving in to it and the elation of reaching each milestone you set for yourself. Create a plan, but make it something quantifiable. "Finish my book someday" isn't nearly as motivating as a breakdown of your hopes with numbers that make sense. "Finish 1,000 words before the end of January. Finish 5,000 words by the end of February. Finish 10,000 words by the end of April. . ." They're goals you can measure and know you've achieved them. Use a notebook or planner and write down your accomplishments to see how far you've come.
Write like your life depends on it and follow your passion for it, rather than give in to the voices in your head that tell you to stop. Good luck and enjoy what comes from it.
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