| The Top 10 Ways to Become a Writer have | | | | what's you want, go for it. |
| been composed from many interviews of | | | | 6. Find Support |
| successful authors. | | | | Having some kind of support system is important |
| 1. Read & Write a Lot | | | | to help you become a writer. Support could come |
| This was the most popular answer given by the | | | | from family, friends, other writers, or just |
| authors interviewed. In order to become a writer | | | | someone to bounce ideas off of. Support can also |
| you need to read a lot of different books and | | | | be financially like it was for Piers Anthony, Dean |
| practice your writing. By reading and writing you | | | | Koontz and many other popular authors. Either |
| open up the door to becoming a better writer. | | | | way support is great when you're down and you |
| You're learning and opening your mind up to new | | | | need someone to help inspire you or lift you up. |
| ideas. | | | | 7. Feedback & Rewriting your Work |
| 2. Set Daily Goals | | | | Editing and feedback are an important part to |
| Daily goals are important to become a writer | | | | become a writer. Once you get your first |
| because it helps keep you motivated and gives | | | | manuscript done, you need to edit, rewrite and |
| you a purpose to your writing. If you don't have | | | | rewrite again until it's perfect. Often feedback is |
| goals, you'll put your writing on the backburner | | | | an important part to learning what works for you |
| and won't write regularly the way you would with | | | | and what doesn't. Just remember it's only |
| goals. | | | | someone else's opinion. Take from it what you |
| 3. Study and Practice your Craft | | | | need to learn and move on. Don't harp on it or |
| It's important to practice writing to become a | | | | over-analyze. Get back to writing which is more |
| writer, because with every story you write you | | | | important. |
| get a bit better each time. I agree. The very first | | | | 8. Always be Professional |
| story I wrote was horrible and I am glad that | | | | Like any career, if you want to become a writer |
| publishers rejected it. Because slowly over time | | | | you need to always be professional. Keep your |
| by reading more, and writing more, my writing is | | | | cool, try to remember this is a job. By being |
| being to improve. If you're not writing, how are | | | | professional you're learning to become a writer. |
| you ever going to become a writer? | | | | Remember that whatever you write on the |
| 4. Find a Mentor and Work Hard | | | | internet is there to stay and might be copied to |
| Some writer's claim a mentor really helped them | | | | other websites. Don't be negative and always put |
| become a writer. It depends on what's best for | | | | your best foot forward. |
| you and how you learn. If you're better off by | | | | 9. Self Publishing Advice |
| yourself, great. If not, perhaps a mentor or | | | | When you become a writer, an important step is |
| teacher might help you get closer to learning to | | | | publishing your work. There is a lot of debate |
| become a writer. I know when I was considering | | | | about self publishing versus using a publishing |
| whether or not I was good at writing, an English | | | | house. Before you make a decision, make sure |
| teacher really inspired me by giving my special | | | | you have all the facts. Self publishing might work |
| assignments and encouraging me to write outside | | | | for you if you have a lot of time and money to |
| my comfort zone. If he hadn't gone above and | | | | spend on marketing yourself. But if you don't than |
| beyond, I might not have taken up writing. | | | | don't accept packages that you have to pay to |
| 5. Believe in yourself and learn to write from the | | | | get yourself published. Remember the goal is to |
| Heart | | | | be writing not marketing yourself. |
| This is important because only you know what | | | | 10. Never Give Up |
| you want. I've always wanted to become a | | | | The last piece of advice is to never give up. Don't |
| writer, so regardless of what my family and | | | | let anyone kill the dream if writing is what you |
| friends have thought, I have never given up on | | | | really want to do. |
| this idea. I think it's important to soul search and | | | | To read the full article, check out my website. |
| find out what you really want, and if it's writing | | | | |