“So You Want to be a Writer?”

Being that this is my first column, I thought I would start right at the beginning. I’m guessing that if you are visiting The Write Spot, you are interested in writing. Of course everyone is interested in different aspects of writing. Some people want to write articles, some people want to write a novel and some people just have that need to write but don’t know where they want to go.

There’s that old adage that says “Write what you know” but with today’s information highway you can become a ‘mini expert’ on just about anything with just a little bit of research. Some novelists claim that when approaching that first novel you write the book you want to read and can’t seem to find. Then there’s that age old debate between writers about whether you need a ‘formal’ education to write. There’s the camp that believes in degrees in literature, creative writing or journalism and maybe even an MFA in creative writing. Then there’s the equally large camp of writers who say you don’t need a degree to write.

So what does one need to be a writer? I can only speak from my own experience getting started on the path toward becoming a published writer. If I had to answer that question the first thing I would tell you that you need in your ‘writer toolbox’ is a desire to write. If you feel yourself being drawn to the keyboard, if you aren’t happy unless you are writing, you’ve got a good start. The desire to write and not so much to ‘be’ a writer is a must. It has to be something you can’t not do.

Secondly, I would add that you must love words and that also means being an avid reader. It still amazes me  today when students in my workshops tell me that they want to write but aren’t really ‘into’ reading. I see the two as intricately intertwined and to remove one from the other would be like separating Siamese twins without each twin having the vital organs needed to sustain life individually. Just can’t be done. Just my own opinion, folks.

Last but not least, my third requirement would be an insatiable desire to learn, to know and to share. In looking over my clips over the years I can see that many of the articles I wrote came from my own desire to learn more about the subject, whether it was about selling my house on my own or ffinding out about gum disease.  This rule may apply differently for the writer who desires to write fiction, but not that much. Perhaps you’re interested in what happens to race horses who retire from the Kentucky Derby? With a little research you might be well on your way to a story about a woman who runs a retirement home for old race horses and the horse she uses to reach her autistic grandchild. Hey, you never know.

And what about that degree? Do you really need a degree to become a writer? I can only speak for myself. I did not get a degree in Literature, English or Creative Writing but I got a wonderful education working as a stringer for a local newspaper for five years. I like to think that that hands-on work provided me with a great foundation for my wriiting career. After five years of stringing I went out on my own and pursued magazines and newspapers alike, winning assignments, paychecks and eventually an award from the prestigious Society of Professional Journalists.

So can it be done? Can you become  a writer without a college education? Yes. If it’s your desire to become a freelance writer and work on your own, to write novels with the intention of becoming a published author, then I believe the answer is most definitely yes. But if you’re looking for a get-rich-quick answer, overnight fame and fortune, and you just tossed a coin and figured ‘why not write?’ then I’d advise you that if there’s something else out there you could be happy doing then do it. Writing is not a get-rich-quick solution. The percentage of writers who meet with fame and fortune are few and far between. Most of the novelists I know make a decent living and even some of those have to continue at their day job until that day when they are earning enough from their books to quit. Writing is hard work that demands you be your own cheerleader, boss and co-worker.

But on the other hand there’s no feeling like it. It’s an undescribable feeling picking up a magazine or newspaper and seeing your byline (name) on the printed page. It’s an even better feeling getting that check in the mail, knowing that you are being paid for your words.

So do you still want to be a writer? If so, then start working on your persistence and motivation because you will need both in order to get yourself in your writing chair every day if you’re going to write for publicatiion.  If you’ve stuck with me this long, then I’ll hope to see you here next month when we’ll contine on that journey toward your becoming a published writer.

See you next month!

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