How to Become a Writer
Five concrete steps you can take right now to bridge the gap between wanting and being.
Whenever I tell someone that I’m a writer, there’s about a 25 percent chance that they’ll get a wistful, far-off look in their eyes and say something like: I’ve always wanted to be a writer.
My stock response to that is what’s stopped you?
Because I’m really curious. Usually the person back peddles and and says something like oh, I couldn’t ever do it. I’m not a writer. Or I wouldn’t know what to write. Or I’m not any good.
Usually, those people don’t really want to be writers anymore than I really want to be a musician every time I say that I wish I knew how to play the guitar.
But every once in a while there’s someone with a real spark who just hasn’t been able to cross that bridge between wanting to be a writer and actually becoming one. It can be a difficult bridge to navigate.
Here are five steps that I think will help, if you find yourself there.
Call yourself a writer. Right now.
Please. Please. Please, do not wait until you’re published, until you’ve been paid, or until you’ve written a million words.
