7 Ways to Know You Have Got the Writing Bug in You

Vincent Eke

How do you know you have got the writing bug in you if you are an aspiring or budding writer and newbie author? When do you know whether you can write and most importantly, how do you know what to write about? Do writers have two heads or are writers born to write? Or do they just learn to write as they go about their daily lives?

7 Ways to Know You Have Got the Writing Bug in You

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See if you have experienced any of these phenomena below that will show you 7 ways to know you have got the writing bug in you.

7 Ways to Know You Have Got the Writing Bug in You

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Bug #1

You know you have got the writing bug in you if you find yourself in the toilet taking a break and all you can think of is seeing your book at the number one spot in the New York Times Best Sellers Lists. You can't help yourself with this train of thought. You find yourself getting a tingle every time these thoughts run across your mind. If you find yourself immediately thinking of that manuscript you have

You are always dreaming and thinking of writing a #1 bestselling book

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Bug #1

started but unable to finish, then you have the writing bug in you. You must go and pull the manuscript out and start writing again. The only way to get into that bestseller list is to keep writing, finish it and have it published. Then start a new writing project all over again. Have faith in your writing until one day you will find that your book is in the New York Times Bestseller Lists.

You are always dreaming and thinking of writing a #1 bestselling book

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Bug #2

You are sitting at O'Briens Cafe with a Bacon & Brie Melt toasted shambo with the best Arabica coffee to chase it down in front of you. Instead of eating, you find yourself asking the waitress for her eyeliner pencil to use in writing down a magnificent idea that just came into your mind. What you should do next time is to punch your idea into your mobile phone as a text message then send it to yourself, carry a diary/notebook or a small bunch of

You find yourself always doodling on cafe napkins

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Bug #2

sticky notes with you. This will prevent you from losing your napkins and thus your ideas.

You find yourself always doodling on cafe napkins

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Bug #3

You are one of those who give their diary a human name. Yes, you treat your diary like she is your SBF - Secret Best Friend - and you write in first person. You record every detail of every single thing you do every day. But you dread showing it to anybody for fear that they may laugh at you and call you uncool. But you still like writing about every single thing you

You keep an up-to-date personal diary for no reason

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Bug #3

do because, if Sarah Jessica Parker of Sex and the City of the American television comedy-drama series can do it, you can too. Good.

Writing about the events in your life - however mundane they may be - is actually a feel-good and wise thing to do. After all, everybody including you has a story to tell. What you should do is start recording all of your musings in a manuscript

You keep an up-to-date personal diary for no reason

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Bug #3

format. This could be your first memoir in ten years time. After all, some people have become famous just from publishing the stories of the boring events in their life.

You keep an up-to-date personal diary for no reason

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Bug #4

You like to be known and be the centre of attention. In fact, you crave it, you see the very popular author JK Rowling of the Harry Potter books and films or the latest raunchy author E. L. James of the Fifty Shades of Grey fame and you wish you could flick a wand and switch places with either of them immediately. You find yourself browsing the latest book by Stephen King on the bookshelf at Easons

You are always day-dreaming of being a famous published writer and author

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Bug #4

and thinking how that could be your published book. In fact, day- dreaming has to be the number one qualifying factor for being a writer, especially if you are going to write fiction. In order to write fiction or something that is neither true nor real, you have to practically dream it up. You should know that there is nothing wrong with your day-dreaming as long as you don't forget to write down everything you

You are always day-dreaming of being a famous published writer and author

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Bug #4

dream up. You never know but one of your dreamt-up fables could turn out to be the next bestseller. So pick up that pen and paper now and start writing.

You are always day-dreaming of being a famous published writer and author

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Bug #5

You just can’t help it. Ideas seem to be pouring out of every crevice in your body. If you feel a sense of euphoria whenever a thought crosses your mind, then you have the writer's bug. If you find yourself laughing for no reason while taking a crap, then you know you have the writer's bug. If you find yourself analysing and conjuring up a lifestyle picture of

You have loads of ideas but you don't know what to do with them

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Bug #5

everybody you pass by while walking down Patrick's Street in Cork, then you have the writing bug.

Write down all of the ideas that come into your mind without analysing them for their merit at first. Later on, after a few days, go back to them and read through them again to see which ones are good enough to convert into a fully-fledged story.

You have loads of ideas but you don't know what to do with them

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Bug #6

You find yourself nit-picking the use of grammar by the writer. You find yourself noticing the spelling errors in the book or article you are reading, even though one or two professional copy editors are supposed to have corrected the book. As you read the book, you can't help yourself thinking ahead of what the next scene on the next page would be. You turn to the next page and you find that you are

After reading a book you think you can do a better job than the author

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Bug #6

right. You have just barely managed to read half of a book which has been getting a rave review.

However you find yourself rolling your eyes at the ceiling wondering what the feck other people found interesting about it. While reading a book you find yourself coming up with an entirely different scenario for the characters.

After reading a book you think you can do a better job than the author

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Bug #6

What you should do is go with the flow and write these ideas down and they could form the basis for an entirely new storyline for your own book.

After reading a book you think you can do a better job than the author

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Bug #7

You have been up all night typing away at your computer or doing it the old-fashioned way – hand writing in your blue-lined notebook. Before you know it, you are feeling famished and you walk to the fridge to find the only good food left to eat at such odd time of the night is two pots of Strawberry Crumble. You surely have got the writing bug when

You find yourself standing by the fridge eating two pots of Strawberry Crumble at 4am

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Bug #7

you suddenly look up at the clock and realise it is four in the morning. At the same time, you realise that in three hours’ time you will have to take your kids to school or head off to work. Even though you have been deprived off your beauty sleep, you feel euphoric with an inner awareness that this sacrifice is a good thing and that the pay-off in future will be

You find yourself standing by the fridge eating two pots of Strawberry Crumble at 4am

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Bug #7

worth it. Yes, it will be worth it when you write and publish your book and it turns out to be a bestseller.

Let me know if you or somebody you know has got the writing bug. How are you managing to express or deal with these writing bugs in you?

You find yourself standing by the fridge eating two pots of Strawberry Crumble at 4am

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My Forthcoming Book• The Mama’s Tales of Kanji - The Turtle’s Shell is an

African-themed folklore storybook, full of wisecracks, fun, age-old wisdom, fantasies and exciting adventures.

• If you would like to preview a sample chapter of my forthcoming book or read other interesting posts on my blog visit my website - http://www.lionpen.com

• May the creative force be with you!

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Keep in touch with me:Visit my websites:Lionpen Publishing | Vincent EkeDonate with PayPalFollow me on FacebookTweet with me on TwitterConnect with me on LinkedInWatch my videos on YouTubeWatch my videos on Vimeo

Forthcoming Book: Mama’s Tales of Kanji – The Turtle’s Shell

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Reference

Images courtesy of:• “Old Letters And Quill” by Simon Howden• “Lady Doctor Writing Prescription” by imagerymajestic

FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Music courtesy of:Easy Lemon by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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