Great Advice from Martina McBride: "Dream Big Anyway"

I recently attended a Martina McBride concert at the Palace Theater in Stamford, CT. For those who are not familiar with the name, Martina is a country singer who has been making hit records since 1992. She's known all over the world. She's one of my all-time favorite singers and I have seen her in concert now three times.

And in one of her songs, one I was not familiar with and unfortunately can't name, she sang the line, "Dream Big Anyway." I immediately felt a connection with the line and realized how important it was to pass along that piece of advice to other writers.

So here's what I want you to know:

You may not make the New York Times Best Seller List, or the Amazon Best Seller List, or any best seller list, but write anyway. Write for yourself and write what you want to write.

You may not have the best, fanciest computer and the most modern equipment, but don't wait until you have the means to get those things. Start writing anyway. Write on a cocktail napkin if you have to. Some of the world's best songs were written on cocktail napkins. And don't forget that Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address on the back of a paper bag. The conditions don't have to be great. They just have to work. So just write.

You may not have all the time in the world to devote to writing. But write anyway. Maybe you work two jobs. Or you're a single mom or dad raising a child. Write anyway, even if you can only devote one hour a week. One hour a month. Yes, everyone will tell you to try to set aside some time every single day for writing. I agree. But I'm telling you to start. Just start. Because if you start out by saying that a single hour is not enough and you wait until you have enough time, not only will you never finish, but you'll never start. So no matter how much or how little time you have, write anyway.

And finally, the last thing I want to say, is try anyway. Maybe you're not sure you have the talent. Maybe you aren't sure you have what it takes to be a songwriter or a novel writer or a children's book writer or what ever it is that your dream is. Try anyway. Because the you that you know today is not the whole you. The you of tomorrow is full of all the experiences and the lessons and mistakes and the ideas you picked up along the way. So try anyway, because you'll never know what you could have become if you don't. Just by trying, you're already a winner.

My thanks to Martina McBride for this wonderful song that sparked this advice.

Happy writing!

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.