Unfortunately that is as much thought as some folks put into their dream of becoming a writer. In reality anyone can write, but it makes a difference what your end product will be. Will you write the beginnings of a story which will eventually wind up at the bottom of a drawer? Will you finish that “great American novel”, fit it into an envelope and then never mail it?
Being a professional writer means running a business. You have to find your market and potential clients, you have to have the discipline to write and self edit, you have to market your work, promote your name, schmooze your way onto an editor’s desk, and keep writing so you can do it all over again. If you are working at another job to pay the bills, then you have to fit the time in. If you are depending on writing to pay the bills, then you have to make it work.
This is not meant to discourage you – this is meant to enlighten you and help you on your way. If you go into the writing business with unrealistic expectations, you will find that you can become depressed and frustrated and eventually may even give up. Don’t let that happen. I have seen too many talented people who didn’t follow their dreams because they didn’t have a plan.
Being a writer means using words to communicate. You can report real life events like hard news, communicate opinions as a columnist, write short fiction stories, pen technical jargon into instructional manuals, or write full length novels. You can write words that rhyme, jokes for a comedienne, scripts, blogs, greeting card verses, speeches or business correspondence. These are all writers. Chances are if you are depending on writing to pay the bills, then you may master more than one of these descriptions.
You have the idea, the desire, a fairly decent mastery of the language, knowledge about your subject and even pen and paper… what is next?
Know WHO you are writing for? This is not the client or publisher, this is your target audience. If you are writing for a market comprised of ages 50 and over, make your topic and your style something that would interest them; it is unlikely that an article about the latest teen heart-throb would hold their attention. Most 20-year olds wouldn’t be thrilled with descriptions of retirement communities. The same precepts hold true with fiction, most people like to relate to the characters. Study your market, understand what appeals to them, read what they are reading.
Now study the paying market – who is going to want to print your piece? Familiarize yourself with submission guidelines. See what is already out there so you don’t offer the same thing that has been run over and over again. Look for a fresh angle, “reinvent the wheel” if need be.
If writing this work means learning facts, then do your research and understand the subject. Even a work of fiction needs a healthy dose of reality. And make sure that no matter how much research you need to do, in the end, use your own words. Nothing will destroy your dream of being a writer faster than plagiarism.
Now you can begin writing…
This week’s writing exercise:
Write your own obituary. Include detail. Do it in 50 words or less.
Writing prompt:
Describe a man who is sad – without dialogue and without saying he is sad. Describe the expression on his face, the way he is standing and even the clothes he is wearing. Do the same for a happy man and an angry man.
