The Beginners' Guide to Creating Yourself as a Writer

 

Write

Maybe this is a little obvious. But try to set aside some time for writing. Maybe five minutes a day? Don’t laugh.  Those five minutes will often turn into half an hour or more.

 

Have a writing place

This doesn't have to be a room of your own. You don't have to write in a café, in the library or on a train. You can of course. But if you don't have the luxury of any of these places, find somewhere where you're comfortable. See that as your space.

 

Make your writing time sacrosanct

You may need to train the people you live with to respect that when you are writing you are working and you are not to be disturbed. I leave my study door ajar when I'm happy to be disturbed. It is firmly shut when I am writing and mustn't be disturbed.

 

Read

Something happens by osmosis if you do. Some people say they don't want to read because they don’t want to be influenced by others. I'm never convinced by that argument but  perhaps you don't just want to mimic Stephen King. You want to be a horror writer with your own style and ideas. Yet reading other can get you used to the way words work and even sometimes allow you to see what works less well. If you're frighten you might end up impersonating one of the greats- just read in another genre.

 

Befriend other writers

Maybe join a critique group but take care with this. Make sure you find the right sort of group. Join writers' online forums but again be careful about which ones. Be a little picky.  Find the right group of friends and these will be of true value. They'll understand exactly what you're going through.

 

Writing is rewriting

Be prepared for a lot of this.  Make your text shine.  And then ….

 

Send your work out

Boldly.  Do your due diligence.  Look for the right places. Don’t let rejection crush you. Get back on the horse.  Have lots of fishing rods hanging off the end of the pier.

 

Competitions

Yes there are only ever a handful of winners but it is useful discipline, especially if you take the trouble to see who has won and study what they’ve written.

 

TV and cinema are good too

Because after all it’s all about story. As is the gossip in the pub.  In fact, there is story all around you. Keep your eyes and ears open.

 

Writerly events

Get to as many writers' events, festivals and conferences as you can.

 

And did I mention it before? Just write!