Are you passionate about the written word? Do you have a story to tell or ideas that you want to share with the world? If so, then becoming a writer might be the perfect path for you.
Writing can be a fulfilling and rewarding pursuit, allowing you to express yourself creatively while captivating readers with your words. However, starting the writing journey can be exciting and daunting.
Whether you dream of writing novels, articles, or even blog posts, here are some valuable tips to help you embark on your writing journey and enhance your craft.
From honing your skills to finding inspiration, these tips will provide you with a solid foundation to develop your writing talent and flourish in the literary world. So, let’s dive in and explore the key aspects of becoming a writer.
In This Post, We’ll Talk About Tips for Becoming a Writer
🚀 Bottom Line Upfront
From setting goals and developing a writing routine, to joining writing communities and experimenting with different writing styles, these tips cover a broad range of strategies to improve your craft.
Whether you are a seasoned writer or just starting out, these tips offer valuable insights and practical advice to help you reach your writing goals.
So pick up a pen or open your laptop, and get ready to take your first steps as a writer.
18 Tips for Becoming a Writer
1. Write at least once a day.
The most essential thing is to develop a daily writing habit. You’ll be amazed by what occurs if you only add a few words to your tale every day.
Perhaps not, since what will happen is that you will write a book. The Creative Practice by Twyla Tharp is an excellent resource for developing a daily writing habit.
2. Read as if you were a writer.
In his book On Writing, Stephen King claims that if you don’t have time to read, you won’t have time or skills to write. He is correct.
Make it a habit to have a book with you wherever you go. One should be kept in the bathroom. Learn to read in sips rather than gulps so that a lack of time will not prevent you from reading at all.
And while you’re reading, read as if you’re a writer. Keep track of what works and what doesn’t. Craft literature should be read.
Read literature that accomplishes the goals you want your tales to achieve. Figure out what works and what doesn’t, as well as why.
3. Watch TV as if you were a writer.
I am certain that if you want to be a writer, you must be a television viewer. Television produces some of the greatest literature and storytelling.
Watch as if you were a writer, just as you would when reading. Pay attention to what it is about a show that makes you enjoy it so much that you are willing to devote hours of your life to it.
Or consider why you aren’t investing anything in it if you turn it off and don’t return it.
4. Watch movies through the eyes of a writer.
People who wish to be writers should watch a lot of movies, especially vintage movies, according to Ray Bradbury. At least once a week, I go to the movies.
Tuesdays are $5! Tale addicts should be writers, and a movie is a great way to obtain a complete story in two hours. Pay attention to the structure, the tempo, and the elements that worked or didn’t work for you.
5. Prepare your area.
You’ll need a setting where your brain quickly recognizes that it’s time to write. It’s a corner of my den, just off the kitchen, for myself.
I wish I could have a full room to myself, but I don’t. I’ve lived in flats so small and crowded that my writing space was a lap desk I used while sitting on my bed, which was OK.
Your kitchen table, Starbucks, the library, a joint workspace, or an office are all viable options. Train your brain to go into writer mode whenever you’re there, no matter where it is.
Being in the company of other authors can help you absorb the notion that you, too, are a writer.
6. Discover your tribe.
Look for other writers to collaborate with. They’re your people, after all. They may be found online (become a Ninja Writer), at conferences, in workshops, or in a local writing community.
Being in the company of other authors can help you absorb the notion that you, too, are a writer.
7. Write for only one person.
Finding your tribe’s antithesis is this: don’t attempt to write for them. It’s really distracting to write for a large number of individuals. For that, writing and reading are just too subjective.
Choose just one person for whom you will write. It’s sufficient if people enjoy what you’ve written. You’ve completed your task.
Contradictory suggestions can be sorted out if you acquire different opinions or utilize additional beta readers.
8. Establish limits with your family and friends.
Your writing is crucial. It’s your responsibility, even if you’re months or years away from solid proof that others will comprehend.
Create a writing timetable, and then safeguard it like you would any other work plan. It’s fine to decline interruptions.
9. Write as though it were your job.
If you work as a writer, you’ll do the following: You’ll put effort into it. You’ll put out the effort to master it. You’ll be able to finish what you’ve started. You may expect others to value your effort. Carry out all of the above.
10. Write in a room with the door shut.
This is something I see all the time. The beginning and finish of a story are usually obvious to writers, but the middle — which makes up the majority of the book — can be a bit hazy.
As a result, they begin to solicit feedback. They approach their tribes and say things like, “I’m not sure where this tale is going to go.” “How do you feel?”
Your tribe is significant enough to have its own section on our list, but your tale remains yours until you’re ready to share it with others. It is only then that it is theirs. Don’t hand it on to them until you’ve finished using it.
11. Practice self-editing.
It’s just as crucial to self-edit as it is to write. You must learn how to accomplish it. If you have the notion that you don’t need to have proper spelling, punctuation, or comma use since editors are there to help you, put it out of your mind right now.
Without a clean manuscript, you’ll never come close to an editor if you pursue the usual path. You’ll have to hire someone to be your editor if you’re going indie.
If you give in a clean copy to your editor (who, remember, you’re paying), you’ll save money, time, and humiliation. Renni Browne and Dave King’s Self-Editing for Fiction Writers is a great place to start.
12. Invest in editing and cover art if you’re an indie author.
This is unavoidable. You can’t be good with a major publishing house releasing your manuscript with only your best friend’s editing and your own handcrafted cover if you wouldn’t be okay with it yourself.
When you self-publish, you are effectively a professional publisher. And that means you’ll have to engage pros to edit your book, design the cover, and if you don’t know how, create the book itself.
13. Distribute your book widely.
It’s quite uncommon for someone to write only one book and have it turn into a career. Don’t bring up Harper Lee or Margaret Mitchell with me.
They’re unicorns, after all. Maybe you’re a unicorn, but 99.99 percent of the time, you’re just like the rest of us. And that means you’ll have to keep writing and putting your work out there.
14. Give your profession ten books.
Don’t send out one book and then abandon it because it doesn’t sell well. Instead, set a goal of writing 10 or 20 excellent novels.
Continue to write. You’ll notice a shift in the momentum. Hugh Howey’s writing advice is one of my favorites: “The authors who take this seriously generate money….”
These artists will have 10–20 works accessible in five years. To augment their income, they simply need to sell 250–500 books every month. Every day, I read ten novels from a list of twenty. That is the long-term objective.”
15. Set teeny-tiny objectives for yourself.
This is something I talk about a lot. Small, teeny-tiny objectives may make a big difference in your life. If you take one small step at a time, you can reach anywhere.
Set a goal that is so little that it will be harder to skip it than it will be to complete it. 10 minutes is my go-to: Write for ten minutes each day and read for ten minutes each day. I’ve even devised a plan for it.
16. Reward yourself with gold stars.
This is one of the simplest and most powerful things I’ve ever seen. It is appropriate for all ages, from kindergarten to adulthood.
Make a calendar for yourself. Set a teeny-tiny goal for yourself. Attain your objective. On your calendar, give yourself a gold star. (Or, if you’re too cool for stars, buy a Sharpie and draw a large X on yourself.)
A visual depiction of a run of victories can encourage you to keep the streak going. Here’s how I do it. FRED is the name I’ve given it.
17. Claim to be a writer.
Simply believe me and declare today, “I am a writer.” And when someone asks what you do, tell them you’re a writer. You’re a writer if you write every day.
That’s something you’re free to possess. I don’t care what you do for a living. Begin to see yourself as a writer. If you’ve never done it before, it’ll be difficult at first, but you’ll grow used to it.
18. Exercising.
I began this list by encouraging you to write every day. I’m going to end up where I started. None of the other ideas on this list can take the place of regular writing practice.
Every day, write and complete your manuscripts. The rest is just icing on the cake.
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Conclusion: 18 Tips for Becoming a Writer
Writing is a process that takes dedication, passion, and creativity. Aspiring writers must remain flexible and open to criticism to perfect their craft.
It’s also important to recognize the setbacks that come with writing and be able to push through them to ensure success.
By following these 18 tips for becoming a writer, you’ll be well on your way toward developing the skills you need for the journey ahead.
You will become a more confident and creative writer and develop strong relationships with other writers who can help you reach your goals as an author.
Keep practicing, keep honing your craft, and never give up – writing exists inside all of us; we just have to draw it out with enthusiasm and effort.
