I can still remember the conversation like it was yesterday. My editor and friend, with her fabulous degree in journalism, calmly walking over to me and placing her hands on my shoulders. Then bending down to my right ear and quietly whispering into it, so no one else could hear but me, “Vickie… I’m going to show you how to use spell check, and if you don’t use it, I’m not going to edit your work anymore.” That’s how bad my writing was. I had a fabulous degree in accounting and zero writing skills.
I wasn’t good at spelling; I wasn’t good at grammar and punctuation and I’m still not. I was overly sensitive and emotionally reactionary to any bit of feedback about my writing, making it hard for my editors to work with me. I took every edit personally. I was an editor’s worst nightmare. I’m still not a great writer. I’ve never taken a writing class. I’ve never enjoyed a journalism course. But I’ve doubled my success because of writing and I suck at it compared to others.
I’m a self-taught writer, which means my work can be full of errors that only journalists and grammar police pay attention to. (Like the one I just did ending my sentence in a preposition.) My editors eliminate most of them for me and sometimes one sneaks by them.
What’s important to know is that I never intended on becoming a writer. In fact, I fell into it as a marketing strategy. I wanted to get my message out to the right audience and it just so happened that my audience likes to read a lot.
I was willing to embrace the learning curve in order to grow into becoming a halfway decent writer, so that my marketing strategy would work. This way, I could speak directly with my clients. This single strategy has opened a lot of doors for me and has made me millions, so that now I live my dream life.
Despite my personal writing dysfunctions, I’ve now written over 23 books. I’m an international best-selling author and writing is my favorite form of communicating. Why? Because, people who read are more intelligent, more reasonable, and usually more emotionally resourced than the average non-reader. In fact, many readers enjoy listening to and understanding other people’s opinions and points of view.
Most readers are usually well-rounded and understand that there are always two sides to every story. Readers are open to listening to both sides and finding where the two meet. Most readers are well-versed and even enjoy listening for other people’s viewpoints because it helps them create discernment, while celebrating the ideas of others.
When I write to these kinds of people they overlook my mistakes and pay attention to my message. Readers are less judgmental and evaluate more, because to read is to listen, learn, consider, and evaluate a point of view. Readers explore ideas and enjoy the treasures locked within the written word. Their joy is to seek them out and grow from them. People who read a lot are easier to talk with because they are actively listening.
I have become a better person because of my writing. I’ve had to become less defensive and more discerning. I’ve had to personally develop into a person who can consider feedback and how it makes me better. I’ve had to move past review bombs and haters and consider the feedback from my readers. Learning to write isn’t just a valuable skill set; it is the skill set that has withstood the test of time. The pen has been mightier than the sword, or in today’s terms, the keyboard is mightier than the sword. When I read and write, everything about my life improves.
The more I write, the better I become. However, the hidden gift in this is that my message becomes stronger because I get to practice expressing it in written form first and when I speak it, I am more articulate. The power of writing isn’t necessarily about the person who gets to read your work, but the person who you become as you grow into becoming a writer.
For me, when an author crafts or sculpts a sentence or paragraph that is beautiful beyond words, it’s like having dessert. Writing is enriching on so many levels. It adds quality of life. It has helped me learn to think and construct a message and thus, helped my speaking ability. Which is what I’m using right now as I voice type this article to you.
The reason writing has increased my success is because it’s a form of allowing an intelligent client to see your level of capability in your industry. When they read your work, they get a taste of who you are and how you operate. This single gift has made my business thrive without having to force thousands and thousands of dollars into marginal advertising schemes that don’t work.
I get to share with them my expertise, my attention to detail, and my point of view about the industry I’m writing about. When you write, you’re creating a client. That’s how I see my writing. I want them to know, like, and trust me. I want them to experience my flair, originality, creativity; and writing is a good outlet for that.
Writing gets you invitations that you may not get using other platforms such as: Speaking engagements, being featured at seminars and workshops that have made me fortunes because I’ve been invited to speak.
Writing has made all those things possible for me and I invite you into the adventure and self-discovery of becoming a writer. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being willing to explore the depth of you, finding your message, as well as discovering, learning, and growing from the message of others. It’s the longest standing art form out there and it will continue to be viable well into the future.