Want to Become a Writer? Here's What You Need To Do

Many people want to be writers and make a living from it, but very few are those who succeed. Why? There are many reasons, but today we will not talk about why they do not manage to become real writers, but we will give them the keys to achieve it.

We will base ourselves on three basic rules that professional writers most recommend. If you want to be a writer, you have to write, read and train yourself. If you want to be a writer, you have to write.

It seems logical, but many who want to write miss this point firstly: they don’t write. There are different reasons why they don’t do it. Maybe they feel they don’t have a good idea to write, or it is because someone has told them that what they aren’t good enough in writing, or they want the first thing they write to be a masterpiece.

The fact that someone doesn’t like what you write doesn’t mean that others can’t like it. And we must take into account that it is uncommon that the first thing someone writes is a masterpiece since no one is born knowing how to write, and there are very few true literary geniuses.

Therefore, the first thing someone should do when he or she wants to write is to write. And do it a lot.

The more you write, the more you learn about your writing, the more you practice, and the more you discover the mistakes you have made over time. The master of horror, Stephen King, recommends that you write at least a thousand words a day in his book’ As I Write.’ That is his limit, and everyone should set their own. It can be five hundred words, one hundred words, or, if you can, two thousand words.

Nobody writes the same when they are in school as when they are 20 or 50. Therefore, practice will make you improve as a writer and help you get closer to fulfilling your dream.

Don’t judge your work, or, if you do, do it constructively. A common problem faced by aspiring writers is the writer’s imposter syndrome: everything you write seems terrible to you. Ignore it, put it out of your head and keep writing.

Another piece of advice Stephen King gives us is not to correct your texts right after you have written them. Give them some time to rest; let them cool down. You’ll update your writing better a couple of months after you’ve finished it than the week after you’ve finished it.

There will be times when you feel uninspired. Don’t worry; it’s normal to be afraid of the blank page. When this happens, it is advisable to leave that text and start another one. Change register, change the style, change genre. Try novels, short stories, poetry, theater, chronicles, or essays. If you see that you can’t go on, get out of your comfort zone and experiment. You will learn much more than you can imagine.

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Read, read, read.

To be a writer, you have to read. All writers are, more than anything else, readers. Reading is the passive act of writing, it’s the other side of the coin, and it’s something you have to do a lot.

Stephen King says it clearly in “As I Write”: Read, read, read, read. Turn off the TV, eliminate distractions and enjoy the soothing act of reading. Writing costs; it takes active effort; reading gives you a moment of calm and teaches you simultaneously.

You will learn from others who have already managed to get where you want to go by reading. That’s why it’s so important: it will give you the tools to get there. Read a lot, and don’t stop reading.

Try different genres, styles, authors from all over the world. Don’t read only the genre you like to write. If you write science fiction and only read books in that genre, you won’t bring anything new to the table. By reading all genres, you will be able to apply techniques from one genre to another, gradually forging your style.

That’s why it’s essential to read a lot and read everything: it will help you forge your style. If you only read books by the same author, you will end up writing like him. If you broaden your reading spectrum, you will absorb different authors, genres, and styles and take what is best for you from each of them. And that’s what will make your writing unique.

Read good books and bad books. Read contemporary and classic. Read authors and authors. Read, read, read.

Train yourself to become a writer.

Finally, we must emphasize the third basic rule for becoming a writer: study, learn, train yourself. It is undoubtedly the rule that is underestimated and takes into account at least. But that makes it more significant.

Writing is an art. As such, it can be taught. For example, to learn to play the piano, you go to a conservatory or music school, to write you must also train yourself.

Creative writing courses open your mind and provide you with many tools you didn’t know about. They also help you establish a routine and offer you academic challenges that stretch your writing skills. And, luckily, nowadays they are just a click away since we can sign up for online writing courses without having to go to a classroom to receive the classes. And you also can get a journalism degree, but please don’t avoid doing the college assignments by buying college research papers instead of doing them on your own. Remember about your motivation.

If you want to become a writer, you have no excuse: follow these three rules and work every day. The future is just around the corner. And, as Picasso said when inspiration comes, may it find you working.