1. Everybody's faking it
When I was younger I believed for a very long time that grown-ups
were somehow inherently whole – that I would hit 18 and metamorphose
into an Adult who Knew About Stuff and possess incredible
self-assurance. I got a little bit older and realised that no-one is
ever absolutely sure of themselves – that I’ll probably still be trying
to work it all out for the rest of my life. And that’s okay, although
disappointing to figure out after a childhood of believing in the
infallibility of adults.
This is from a thing I wrote (I do that a bit, don't I? Bit of a theme, this writing thing) for Birdee mag on feeling like a huge fraud. You can read the rest, if you want.
2. Everything is possible
When you’re a kid, and even into your teenage years, everything is
possible. Inexperience is actually a huge benefit – you are so wildly
confident that the gargantuan seems quite manageable. Dedication and
discipline to write are actually things I require more now than I did as
a fifteen-year-old, even though I wrote just as much then – I was so
absolutely consumed back then by enthusiasm to write, and for the
stories I was writing. It changes a bit once it turns into a career, and
you’re a good enough writer to be able to see all the flaws in your own
writing. But I think there is something raw and genuine and wonderfully
honest about the things young people write, even if they’re not
technically the most talented and subtle of writers. I have always
thought in terms of stories – and I see potential stories everywhere –
so for me it was the best possible way to express myself and explore new
ideas and try to imagine life from someone else’s point of view.
Here's a little guest post I wrote about my writing journey (journey makes it sound like an elaborate quest, or like I have a clue what I'm doing, so I need to think of an alternate word there) for the lovely Josefa's blog.
