I have over 200 publications, 9
awards, and have taught fiction writing since 1992. Based on my experience with over 1000
students, here is my abridged list of what you need to become a writer:
1. Time.
Writing takes time. To be a
writer, you are going to have to give up something. I gave up television and the gym. The latter is obvious.
2. A room to write.
Virginia Woolf said: A woman needs
money and a room of her own in order to write. EVERYONE needs a room, or a place to
write. Preferably with a door to close
out the rest of the world. Especially if
you have kids. I wrote in the bathroom
for years.
3. Supportive friends.
Eliminate all people you can from your life who are negative influences
on your writing. The ones who think you
will never make it. The ones who think
it’s a ‘cute’ hobby. The ones who look down upon the genre in which you
write. Do it now. This minute. Become friends with other writers who share
your passion.
4. Desire.
I nearly said passion, but really, they are the same thing. To be a writer, you have to actually love to
WRITE. That is, bum in the chair, by
yourself, hitting the keyboard, in a world of your own making. Too many people want to become authors, but
don’t actually like the physical work of writing. Figure out whether you do right now.
5. The Craft.
If you want to write a novel, take a course in crafting a novel. If you want to write short stories,
ditto. You’ll learn a lot really quick,
and it will cut years off your apprenticeship.
Not only that, you’ll make friendships with like minds who will inspire
and encourage you.
6. Talent.
Yes, you need talent. By that, I mean you need plot ideas of your
very own. I can teach you the craft of
writing in my college fiction writing classes.
But you also need to have the sort of brain that is producing ideas all
the time. Successful fiction writers
don’t have to look for ideas. They are
drowning in them.
7. A Thick Hide.
All
writers deal with massive amounts of rejection.
Even when you strike gold and get a publisher, you will deal with
rejection in the form of bad reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. None of us escape that. All of us need to develop a thick hide to
survive as authors.
Luckily, I have developed a thicker
hide. It comes from skipping the gym and
gaining weight.
