how to be a writer in five [marginally] easy steps
When I first started this blog, I said that the name came from something a writer friend of mine said when I was having a down time. He said that anyone can be a writer so long as one writes. It is being an author, that is, a published writer, now that is difficult.
As such, being a writer isn’t that difficult and here is pretty much how to go about it.
1.) Write. And I don’t mean that if you’re a fiction writer, write blog posts (like I’m doing now instead of actually writing.) If you want to be a fiction writer, write fiction.
2.) Realize you can undo. The scariest thing in the world is to sit down and stare at the blank page and not know where to begin. So what? Just start writing anyway. If you get to the end of your story, and you realize that it really shouldn’t have started there, then you can go back and fix it. But start writing anyway.
3.) Have a clue about where you’re going. I don’t mean have an outline about each and every scene. I merely mean that know that my story starts out with Natlie meeting Justin and ends with Natlie leaving the Dragon’s Nest. If you have clue about where you’re going, it not only saves you time writing, it encourages you to keep going for that next scene.
4.) Edit. Nothing is completed without being edited multiple times. And although it seems like a large waste initially, my stories dramatically improved when I began to print it out on paper and edit it like that. Also, it’s a bit more convenient.
5.) Keep writing. IF I were to decide that school and work and everything was too much right now and I’m done writing, then I would no longer be a writer. I would have been a writer when I was younger. But i am not a writer anymore. In order to continue being a writer, one must continue writing.
So, that’s all there is. In reality, being a writer isn’t that difficult. Now, being a good writer is a completely other story. But just like any art, writing requires practice. So keep at it and someday, you will be a good writer too.
2 responses to “how to be a writer in five [marginally] easy steps”
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Abigail
always a writer 
Abigail, If you do want to be an author have a look at my blog. I answer a few publishing questions, particularly on marketing and writing. Keep writing. Donna
Thanks. My problem right now isn’t actually the publishing industry as much as needed to do a few final little tweaking parts that I haven’t had the motivation to do. But maybe sometime I’ll look.