You don’t have to be a writer to write. What I mean is – many dietitians counsel patients in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and private settings, but their passion is to write. They might just be waiting for “the day” or “the right time” when they will be able to sit down and create a story for a newspaper, a magazine, or perhaps even write a book.
If the above scenario pushes any of your buttons, I have a question to ask you: What are you waiting for? Today is the perfect day to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and let those thoughts flow. Don’t worry about grammar or perfect sentences…just write. If you love to cook, jot down a favorite recipe and think of a story you can connect to the last time you created that dish. If you counsel patients, write about one of your greatest challenges or your biggest success story. If you’re a mom, you must have lots of tales to tell about trying to get your kids to eat their veggies or not eat too many sweets. Even if you have a pet, there’s a story lurking there. (You can check my blog on USA Today called, “Counting Canine Calories” at http://tinyurl.com/5ogx9w for one of those pieces.)
I never realized how much I loved to write until I started writing. My first major job as a columnist was for Newsday, paid very little but meant a great deal. Ideally, you should get paid thousands for your work…but you may not start out that way! Send a letter to the Editor of a local newspaper, send a pitch letter to a magazine, or write a column for your church or synagogue. You’d be surprised whose eyes will read your words and you could be a by-line away from getting nationally published.
Here’s a rule of thumb you can follow in the meantime: never leave home without a pen and something to write on. I have written some of my best stories on the back of an envelope, a blank space on a magazine advertisement, and a paper placemat from a diner. Don’t let anything stand in the way of you and inspiration!
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