How to become a writer

I get a lot of questions from readers (thanks to everyone who ask I LOVE questions).

One of the most frequent questions I get is “How do I become a writer?”

It seems pretty simple. You want to be a writer then write. As easy as it sounds it’s not that easy. First, you need to understand your WHY? Why do you want to be a writer?

Is it for fun?

Is it for fame and fortune?

Is it because it sounds cool to tell people at dinner parties that you’re a writer?

I ask you what your motive is because HOW you become a writer largely depends on WHY you want to be a writer. However, the one thing all reasons have in common?

You do have to write.

Put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. There isn’t any way around that.

If you want to be a writer for fun and giggles, that’s AWESOME and pretty smart. Let’s face it, making a living as a writer is not an easy road.

If you want a career as a writer whether it be fiction, non-fiction, blogging, freelance articles it takes time and often thankless effort to get where you want to and you must have a plan.

A goal.

A purpose.

A path to follow.

You need to know what to write about, what’s selling, what the audience wants. You might love to write about crime fighting unicorns, but if there isn’t a market for that, it’s not going to sell no matter how awesome your writing is. I’ve talked to many writers who say they want to make a sustainable living with their craft but refuse to write to trend at least part of the time. Bottom line you have to write what sells to make money and if you’re not willing to do that you might want to rethink your career choice.

I know you might be thinking that the whole reason to be a writer is to do your own thing. To not be a slave to the man. In theory, that sounds awesome but in reality, even when you’re your own boss you have to do things you don’t necessarily want to do.
So think about it. Do you still want to be a writer? Are you willing to put in the work, even the work you don’t want to do, to reach your dreams? I’d love to hear from you in the comments about what you’re thinking!

Download the 5 Tips to Making a Living as an Author printable and decide how you want your writing career to evolve!