So You Want to Be a Writer?
I’m writing this post in response to some few friends who’ve asked me to help them become writers too. The most recent is a friend who messaged me on WhatsApp yesterday.
Now I don’t even consider myself a great writer. At least not yet. I don’t write often. I spend a crazy amount of time on a good number of my posts before I get them published. So I’m still learning. But I thought of putting my thoughts into a blog post rather than just typing them out as a conversation on WhatsApp.
So you want to become a writer?
- Read. Read. Read.: I believe great writing is an overflow of a whole lotta reading. I’m able to easily distinguish between the avid reader and the occasional reader just by reading what they’ve written. The avid reader has a vast vocabulary, knows her subject-verb agreement and there is a seamless flow in words, which makes reading stuff they’ve written pleasant and fulfilling. That’s not to say people who don’t read much or people we’ll call average readers are not fit to write. What I’m saying is that you should desire and work towards reading more if you’ll ever become a great writer. But probably not all of us are meant to break through with writing, so if it’s such a daunting task for you, you might have to find other ways of expressing your thoughts or emotions, whether through spoken word or through painting.
- Learn the Craft: Though most folks I read from have never taken a writing course or read a book on the skill of writing, I think it’s something that can be worth your while. Writing like most other disciplines is a craft that can be improved upon by learning the basics: sentence structure, concord, grammar, punctuation and also learning how the masters of the craft have done it. Leadership and Productivity blogger and former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishing, Michael Hyatt calls Stephen King’s On Writing his favourite overall book on the craft. Also a quick Google search will lead you to great blogs and books totally dedicated to the art of writing.
- Start Writing: This is a no-brainer. If you want to become a writer, you simply write. Get your writing tools which could be a pen and a notebook or a laptop, or even your mobile device. Use Microsoft Word, Evernote, Google Keep or your phone’s Note app to scribble down words as the inspiration comes. Writing flows from having inspiration or having knowledge on a topic, otherwise it becomes drudgery. So don’t despise those thoughts that run through your head all the time. Put them into writing as short pieces and come back to put all of them together as one piece.
- Make Time To Write: If you’re ever going to write something readable to hit the publish button, you’ll have to commit time to writing; which involves putting your thoughts together, cutting parts out, and refining till you have a piece you’re happy about and ready to share. The process from writing your first draft till you have a ready-to-publish post can take anything from 30 minutes to several days depending on numerous factors. But you want to do everything to avoid making the transition from draft to published post unnecessarily long. It will also be helpful to choose a time of the day when writing comes easiest to you. Some people like to write early at dawn. Others are most productive in the mornings. Still others write on their train commutes to and from work. Experiment and know what works for you.
- Get Someone to Edit and Proofread: I also hadn’t bothered to learn the difference between editing and proofreading till now. ☺ Here you go:
Both editing and proofreading are geared towards refining your article and getting it ready to be published. After putting your article together and doing your own editing, you can share it with a friend who is good with editing and is willing to edit your piece. I once shared the same article with two friends to help with editing. When I received the edited piece, there was a stark difference between the two. Editor A scored 30% with me whiles Editor B scored 90%. But hey we’re not looking for perfection here, so don’t fret so much about finding an Editor B. The excellent editor aside the fact that he reads widely revealed that he once did an internship where one of his roles was editing. I then understood how his editing muscles were that built. However the final editor or proofreader is You and you should go through your piece to make any needed final changes before you publish.
I occasionally get people to edit or proofread my articles for me, but for most posts I read them over and over myself, till I get satisfied that it’s good to go.
- You Probably Won’t Get It Right the First Time: Your first post will most likely not have people swarming to read it. As a beginner in writing, not many people will be wowed by your first post (and your second post and your third post). But it’s your first, so don’t sweat over this. Twenty posts down the line, you’d have become better at the craft.
- Join a Writing Group: It’s always good to be in a company of writers if you will ever become great at the craft. Just by reading the stuff they share will greatly help you improve your own craft. Don’t hesitate to message or meet some of these people in person to learn from them how they’ve been able to remain consistent at writing. I’m a member of such a group on WhatsApp. Send me a simple mail if you are interested in joining us. ashedefoundation@gmail.com
Writing is no child’s play. It is hard work and it involves a great deal of discipline. But you can begin today and become a pro in a few years if you commit to putting in the work.
Are there additional tips that I might have missed? Contribute by sharing your thoughts in the comment section.
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