How do you learn to write? If you are a novice writer, I hope the tips in this blog post will start you on a fruitful path!
Do You Dream of Being a Writer?
If you want a career in writing, your desire alone is a great start.
- You have to want it.
- You have to feel compelled to write.
- And you have to learn to write — well.
But don’t panic…it’s a process!
In my experience, the desire to write serves as fuel, and you’ll get a lot of mileage out of it. After all, some could care less about writing, while others want to learn to write as a career.
Many begin the process later in life after they’ve accumulated interesting experiences and navigated the ups and downs of work, family, love, and loss. For others, it’s something they’ve always done, whether that be in a diary, journal, or blog.
The Craft
The good news is that if you want to be a published writer and author, you are halfway there. It’s a calling, and this calling means you want to learn to write to the best of your ability. You want to share work that is worthy of your audience. Some are natural writers, while others learn the craft. Yes, writing is a craft that can be learned at any stage of life. And if you want to become really, really masterful, you’ll study it. It’s a lifelong journey of absorbing techniques and best practices, and we each do this in our own way.
Here are some recommended links to get new writers off to a good start:
You can benefit from professional writing groups and organizations as well!
From the basics of grammar to the heights of master story-telling, you’ll find yourself exploring it all. Your interest indicates that you are on your way to a writing career, whether that be part-time or full-time.
Learn to Write
Sure, you may be rusty. You may need to develop technique. I love to coach emerging writers. I love to work with authors and developmentally improve their skill level. It’s a joy to assist in creating excellent manuscripts and share the tips and tools to make it happen. The relationship between an author and editor is collaborative and focuses on 1.) writing the best book possible and 2.) pleasing the audience who will read it.
There’s a backstory as to why and how I became a writer and editor. I chose English as a major due to a life-long love of reading, literature, and poetry. But I was told by some that my only career option was to teach — after all, the “struggle” writers face to make a living is legendary. Teaching, I was told, would provide a steady income.
But I wasn’t really interested in teaching. I was interested in writing commercially. Many suggested I pursue journalism, but I wanted to focus on the literary front. So I split the difference and took some journalism and copy editing classes, but stuck with my English coursework. Luckily for me, I knew how to write commercially by the time I earned an English degree. It was brutal — my writing instructors were exacting and fanatical about rewriting, rewriting, rewriting and editing, editing, editing. But thanks to them, I learned to produce commercially viable copy and then certified as an English teacher after the fact. I quickly confirmed that my calling wasn’t teaching. My calling was, and always has been, writing.
I’m Here to Help!
I certainly had mentors as I learned to write, and I enjoy doing the same after working in the field for several decades. As always, I’m here to assist writers to become the best they can be. Working in the world of words can become more than a dream or hobby if you learn to write — well!