Do you want to be a writer?

by Richard L. Weaver II

There are some basic elements of writing that may not be present for all writers (there are always exceptions), but it is precisely these elements that make writing easier and more comfortable. You need to begin with one overriding and important focus: read widely, read broadly, and read often. Ease and comfort in writing often directly results from your ease and comfort in reading. When you like to read, it is more likely that you will like to write.

The earlier you begin writing, the better. This (an early start) gives you practice, of course, but often an interest in writing begins in school, and it is in school where you can enjoy the luxury of informed instruction, guidance, pointers, tips, hints, and directions. Perhaps more important in beginning early is the establishment of a habit of writing. This is where habits start.

A second suggestion is to pursue every opportunity to write. Never back away from assignments, home work, or extra credit work that causes, forces, or encourages you to write. Classes where writing is part of the syllabus, and teachers known to encourage writing, should be targets for you. These opportunities often are the point of departure in the formation of ambitions, aspirations, wishes, dreams, and hopes.

Third, take all the English courses you can. It doesn’t matter if it is a course in grammar, literature, or creative writing. These courses often provide a balance of the four skills: reading, speaking, listening, and writing. All assistance in improving your grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation will offer worthwhile information and develop useful and enduring skills.

The fourth suggestion is to read and write in your spare (free) time. The easier reading and writing becomes, the more you will look forward to doing it. And the more natural the effort, the more you’ll pursue it. The primary problem with this suggestion is all the other things that occupy your time and your interest. More on this problem in a moment.

The fifth suggestion is to keep a daily diary, a daily journal, or a daily blog. What a daily diary, journal, or blog does is give you a regular, scheduled prompt that keeps you writing. It doesn’t matter what your daily notes consist of since it is the daily act of writing that’s important. If you can write more than simply a catalog or list of what you did or did not accomplish each day that is good. When you can reflect on life, consider your circumstances, contemplate your wishes and dreams, give some thought to your plans and hopes, and even give some consideration to what’s happening in the news, you are expanding your horizons, enlarging your outlook, broadening your viewpoint, increasing your perspective, thinking, and giving yourself additional opportunities to write.

The sixth suggestion is to gather the material together that will best support your writing. A quiet place, a word processor (computer), pens, pencils, paper, and note paper you can carry with you, all help. Ideas or topics come to you at all times during the day and night, and to have the tools necessary and at hand to record those ideas and topics will help. Often, those ideas or topics either never return or return in a new and different form, so don’t miss them when they first arrive. Also, purchase a copy of Strunk and White’s, Elements of Style. Read it, and use it.

Not enough can be said about using a computer. Having spell-check, a dictionary, and a thesaurus at your fingertips is a valuable resource. Even more important is having search engines which yield word (or idea) definitions, etymologies, and interpretations. To have the history and background of ideas, the opinions and testimony of experts, and facts and statistics to support ideas is invaluable. All of these are what make writing solid. They allow writers to fill in the gaps, expose faults, resolve differences, detect omissions, present contrasts, and describe details they would otherwise miss.

Another function of the Internet is that it provides writers many opportunities to read interesting and divergent material. The emphasis here is on “opportunities to read,” because anyone who wants to be a writer must continually read.

The seventh element for writers is to carve out time to write. Time to write means time alone, time without distractions, time to think, time to perfect, hone, and polish ideas. Good writing takes time, and time, in a technology-driven society is not only precious, it is a rare commodity. I referred to this element when discussing the fourth suggestion regarding writing in your spare time.

Technology of all sorts dominates our lives — every available moment if you let it. That is why writing requires self-discipline and sacrifice. Just knowing this may well turn away those who enjoy surfing the Internet, text-messaging or e-mailing their friends, playing video games, using cell phones, watching DVDs, and being connected to others through social networking (i.e., Facebook, MySpace, and hundreds of others.)

The eighth element is to find people (e.g. friends or family members) who are willing to critique and evaluate your writing. Remember, if you are a writer, you are writing for a broader audience than just yourself. Never turn down opportunities to have others examine and comment upon your ideas and writing. Whether you accept their observations and judgment, of course, is up to you; however, you should be aware that objectivity about your own work is unlikely (maybe impossible). Although many writers think they can be their own editors, and to some extent they can, it is impossible to see some errors (maybe even faulty reasoning) because you can’t and don’t see them. Others often can.

The ninth element is, according to Judy Reeves, “hang out with other writers. Go to readings and book signings, open mikes. Communicate with other writers. . . . Sign up for workshops and conferences. Get in a group.”

When it comes to the bottom line, it can be framed in a question: How badly do you want to be a writer? Are you willing to make the sacrifices? Becoming a writer doesn’t happen magically when, one day, you just sit down at the computer and you discover yourself hooked-up with a writing wizard with words flowing from your mind to the keyboard and, in some miraculous fashion appearing on the screen in front of you in a truly supernatural manner. And there you are, an exceptional artist, with incredible language, amazing readers around the world with your staggering observations, breathtaking insights, fabulous opinions, and mesmerizing stories. Such adeptness, if it occurs at all, comes as a result of the elements and methods discussed in this essay. These mind-boggling ends follow from serious commitment, conscientiousness, and rigorous and thorough preparation — painstaking means. To think otherwise is pure fantasy.

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Judy Reeves has written a beautiful essay, “How to become a writer who writes: Tips for writers and writing groups,” and she claims writers write because writing is in their hearts and souls and DNA. Her first suggestion is to claim yourself a writer and her second is to make time to write, then write. This is good information for prospective writers.

At Howtodothings.com, Sonya Carmichael Jones has an essay entitled, “How to become a writer.” Her suggestions are to assess your writing skills, investigate writing options, identify your passion, continue to learn, and network and prospect. This is a basic, nuts-and-bolts essay to be used as a started site.

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