Can you draw this turtle?

Remember a billion years ago when Art Instruction Schools used to put those ads in the back of magazines? You may have the aptitude to be a Serious Artist, so apply to our school and we'll Make You Famous(TM).

Sometimes that's how I feel about writing.

Can you write a sentence? Have you had a single good idea in your life? Subscribe to this blog/magazine/online course/writers conference, and we'll Make You an Important Literary Figure (or, we'll Make You Filthy Rich, take your pick).

At some point in my life, I thought, wow, I tell a really mean story. I Should Be A Writer.

Then reality hit. This isn't just aptitude. There is a lot more that goes into writing professionally than just telling a kick-ass story. The more I read, the more I learn, the more I realize that I have to learn about the craft of writing.

Oddly enough, instead of making me depressed and discouraged, I find this incredibly exciting. As I pore through the pages of books on the mechanics of producing stories, I find myself more enthusiastic about writing than I have been for years. AND I'm actually writing--not just reading.

It's a good day to be me. It's probably a good day to be you, too. Especially since you were kind enough to read this post. (Yeah, I'll suck up for readers. I ain't shy.)