So You Want to Be a Writer...

On Becoming a Writer

So you want to write a book…

I hear that often.  When people find out I am an author, I will have at least one in the group tell how they have a great idea for a book. Sometimes, someone will insist their life story is so unbelievable, it would be a best seller or a blockbuster movie. 

I try to encourage people. I tell them to go for it! Write it down! I’ve yet to have any of them actually make that happen yet, though.

 I decided if you are one of those with a story burning in your heart, this is a good time for free advice from a published author.  Below are a few tips to get you started.

Photo by Thom Milkovic
Thanks Thom!

1.      Write. Pen and paper?  Computer?  Dictate into a program or your phone? Quill and scroll? It doesn’t matter how you start writing. The number one rule to be a writer is you MUST write. 

 

2.       Read. I am shocked by the number of “wanna-be” writers who do not read. Read the works of authors who write what you hope to write. Learn from them. Read to enjoy the book first, then read it again to analyze how they pulled it together.

 

3.      Write. If you have an idea for a story, put it down on paper or in notes on your phone. Even if it is one sentence or one paragraph…write it down. You can flesh it out later, but it is a frustrating and haunting experience to know you had a great idea but can’t pull it up from your memory.

 

4.      Join a writing group. This can be a local group, a national group, a group that meets online, or all three. Don’t have a group? Start one. My first writing group consisted of three people. These were folks I knew who also expressed an interest in writing. We gathered in my living room. We wrote, shared our musings, asked each other questions, and as we built a sense of trust, we critiqued each other.

 

5.      Write. Grab a spiral bound notebook and write. Or write every day on your computer. Write every day. Even if it is a paragraph in your journal or diary. Write. Even writing a list of ideas will help you exercise your writing muscle.

 

6.      Go to your local library and find a few good books on writing. If you are just starting, some of the books may seem lofty or for English majors. Find one or two books that draw you in, read them, then trade them in for two more. And while you’re at the library, find a book to read for pure enjoyment. Reading is necessary to becoming a writer.

 

7.      Write. “My story is unbelievable. It would be a Hallmark movie.” Really? Don’t tell me about it. Write it down. Writing description and dialogue and scenes take work…not talk.

 

8.      Feeling unsure of yourself? Take a writing course. There are numerous courses offered on-line or at your local community college.

 

9.      One last word of advice…if you want to be a writer…WRITE.

 

10.     And if you want to an author…Publish. Writers Write. Authors Publish. But that’s a whole different blog post…