Ways, Means, and Ends

Hello to anyone reading this! I've considered myself an aspiring writer for many years but here ends that self-appointed label. I AM a writer and now want to become better. My job has kept me confined to extremely dry and unimaginative writing for years so I hope to use this forum as a departure from that part of life.

I have a blog already, but my family reads it. Can't be truly honest and creative when your family reads what you write! At least, in the back of my head, I always wonder what they will think or if their feelings were hurt by something I wrote. That has actually happened and it wasn't for anything particularly worth them getting upset over.

I am open to all advice and critique concerning my writing. I'd like to write fictional short stories, however I recognize that it won't be all fiction. We must draw from some known aspect of our lives in our writing, yes? At least I always have in the past.

Therefore my "ways" amounts to the path I will take in order to become better at writing. I believe this would/could/should take the form of some kind of scheduled or forced writing. "Means" consists of how I will achieve this - this forum is my instrument of choice! "Ends" relates to my ultimate goal of maybe, somehow, getting published one day. This line of reasoning is a bit militant. There's a clue to my career path.

Finally, it amounts to a simple belief that if there is a small inkling or iota of inspiration or hope that you can achieve something, you owe it to yourself to try it. Make it a priority, follow your dreams, blah blah blah, just do it.

And here we are!