How to Become a Writer

Think about what you want to write. The broad field of writing can be divided into smaller categories (such as fiction, poetry, real-life fiction) and even more specific categories (such as science fiction, the mystical, experimental… and many others). Think about the topic you want to write about. Write about the topic you want to read. The best writing will come from what you, and possibly only you, aspire to discover. When passion is put into the article, the reader will feel excited. Your passion for a personal creative project will be a powerful tool for getting started.

• Remember that you don’t have to limit yourself to one particular area. Many famous authors have expanded the field and realized that – they can write creative essays while publishing their own work of fiction. Or maybe a few poems appear in their short fiction.

Form the habit of composing. Fix a specific time of day, place, and space for all composition sessions. When you fix this habit, the creative center of your brain will get used to working in similar environmental conditions. Things you need to consider are…

• Noise: some writers prefer absolute silence. While others will listen to music to arouse the creative essence in them. Some people want to go with friends to come up with ideas.
• Timing: Some writers jot down their thoughts before going to bed. Working early in the morning may be good for others, but some people will be woken up by distractions. Some other writers like to be disturbed, and so they write during breaks or other work sessions. Others want a long, quiet time to write, and dedicate their weekends to it.
• Location: Fixed working in a particular building, room or even on a chair can speed up the creative process. This familiarity will help your brain work creatively, seriously, and in line with your goals.

Read and study. Reread the things you learned earlier and mull over them – think about what makes them impactful and what makes them effective. Try to understand the structure of your favorite poem, or the psychological development of a character in a novel that interests you. Find a sentence that interests you, and ask yourself – why did the author choose that phrase or this word?

• Don’t limit yourself to a single genre or area. To enrich your writing experience, you must explore. You may not like vanity, but people read and write fiction for some reason. So read with the motto: “I read to write. I read to learn. I read for inspiration.”

Be the discoverer. Notice many things. Pay attention to the world around you. Look for mysteries and try to explain them. If you have a question, pursue the answer with intense interest. Take note of the strange and the unusual. When writing, being mindful of many things will give you something to write about. Furthermore, this will make your writing more engaging, richer, and more realistic. Here are some suggestions to help you explore the world around you:

• Nothing ordinary and boring. There will be something strange and special in every person and thing.
• There’s some mystery right in front of you: a TV that won’t turn on, a bird that won’t fly. Figure out how things work, don’t work, and why.
• Attention to detail. The leaves aren’t just green: they’re long, thin-veined, hard petioles, and spade-shaped.

Maintain a journal. Write down everything that interests you or that inspires you. Do it everywhere you go. Some famous writers even sew extra pockets in their coats to carry more pieces of paper when away. Use a journal to generate ideas, record everything you see, hear, or read, and add information to your post. When you get stuck on a project, you can revisit it for new inspiration. Be aware that anything can come from your diary, for everything is an inspiration. Some helpful suggestions for you are:

• Dream: is a place full of strange and unusual things. Write them down before they disappear!
• Pictures: including photos and doodles.
• Quote: someone saying something that surprised you, a short poem, or a prophecy inside a cookie.

Getting Started: This is the most important part, and also the hardest. Many of us, when we start out, just stare at the computer screen without writing a word. Some people refer to this phenomenon as “writer hangs”. Here are some basic composition exercises that can help you spark your creativity and fuel your project:

• Go somewhere busy, maybe a place full of people. Imagine that your vision is a camera that can record everything. Take out your notebook and write down exactly what is going on. With all the senses – seeing, smelling, hearing, tasting, and touching.
• Use the voice recorder to record the dialogue. Don’t let the speaker know! After you have recorded for the appropriate amount of time, transcribe the conversation on paper. Edit wording – add, remove, and change a few details. Create a new scene, or new situation.
• Character creation. See what they want? Fear of what? What secrets do they have? Who are they related to, and where do they live? What’s their last name… even if they’re even just one person?

Determined to complete the project. There are millions of unfinished novels in the world and billions of stories. Setting and sticking to a goal, no matter how tiring, is the key to figuring out what you want to write about. Once you’ve accomplished your initial goal, you’ll achieve three things:

• an interesting idea about something you want to write about
• skills to write
• persistence to complete the project

Be part of the community. Sharing ideas and getting feedback is one of the best ways to get inspired and boost creative work. This can be intimidating as a beginner writer because the work you do is personal, and you may fear rejection. However, if you work in isolation, not only will no one read your work, but you will also develop many bad habits (like being too verbose, redundant, or exaggerated, etc.). Instead of being scared, you should think that every person you talk to has the potential to give you new ideas and inspire you.

Talk about finances. Writers are almost like superheroes: having hard work at the office during the day… and becoming a dragon rider, super detective, knight in the armor of “WRITE” by night. Some writers don’t have day jobs – but this is rare. However, it wouldn’t be bad to have this job. Indeed, a good day job can even help your goal of becoming a writer. If you’re looking for a desirable day job, here are a few things you should consider:

• Does the job help pay your bills? A good day job should ease your financial burden so you can compose without worry. Stress should not affect your composition project.
• Does this job give you enough time and energy to compose? It’s work that should be easy enough for you so you don’t burn out at the end of the day.
• Does work bring you moments of entertainment? It helps if you have some space away from your creative work. Spending too much time on a project can leave you feeling buried. Better to step back.
• Does the job have a creator? Good work during the day will bring you great colleagues. Creators are everywhere! They are not necessarily writers or artists.