Prepare For Becoming a Writer

Becoming a writer is probably something you have been dreaming about for a long time. The temptation, therefore, is to rush straight into the writing without giving much thought to why you are doing it or what you hope to get out of being a novelist.

If you really want to write fiction and perhaps make a living from it, do yourself a favor and spend some time considering some of the fundamental novel writing issues.

Yes, I know you are itching to crack on with the business of planning and writing your first literary masterpiece, but becoming a novelist is more a marathon than a sprint.

There really is no hurry.

The trick is to start at the beginning and accept that you won't reach the end any time soon.

Do that and you can concentrate on enjoying the journey and not fretting about how long it will take you to get there. If you rush ahead regardless, a wrong decision made in haste can cost you dearly later.

Becoming a Writer: The Fundamentals

Let's start with the biggest question of them all: Do you have what it takes to succeed as an author? After all, with something like 99.5% of all manuscripts being rejected by agents and publishers, it is reasonable to wonder whether you won't simply be wasting your time.

The short answer is that creative writing is anything but a waste of time and effort. For the longer answer, please read the article on The Myths & Secrets of Writing Novels.

Anyway, having decided that you do have what it takes to succeed as a novelist, continue with the rest of the articles in the How to Become a Writer section. This section will prepare you for becoming a novel writer in three important ways...

• First, it will show you how to get motivated, not least by making you decide why you want to write a novel at all (beyond the possibility of making money from writing, that is).
• Second, it will show you how to get creative by introducing you to your inner-artist and your inner-critic. (Harnessing the natural creativity you were born with is critical, not just to your future success but to your enjoyment along the way.)
• Finally, it will show you how to get organized by discussing the tools of the trade and how best to manage your time.

Take my advice and spend a few idle work sessions considering all of the questions posed in the section on Becoming a Writer (you can either read this online or, if you want a lot more detail, in the Downloadable Version of this Site). Some of the answers you come up with might surprise you, and they will certainly stand you in much better stead for the challenging but exciting journey ahead.

You see, knowing what you hope to get out of fiction writing will fundamentally affect the way you approach it...

• If writing a novel represents a career move for you, or some kind of business plan, the chances are that you will rush it and end up with something far from perfect.
• If you view writing as a worthwhile activity in its own right, irrespective of whether the story is eventually successful or not, you will do well.

Paradoxically, you stand a better chance of becoming a successful writer the less you worry about succeeding.

Next Up: Step 2 of the Novel Writing Process, where you Decide what Type of Fiction to Write...