Article by Samantha Asher
Many have a dream of a creative writing career. You may dream of writing the great American novel, or becoming the next Poe. If you are serious about becoming a writer, there are several things you should do and keep in mind.
Write everyday as much as you can.
Writing is not like riding a bike. If you stop writing and go back to it 5 years later, you probably won’t be nearly as good, let alone better. If you want to become a great writer you have to practice all the time. That means everyday. That means setting a certain amount of time to write everyday. Stop right now, check your calendar, and right in a time for everyday that you will write.
Write creatively, not like a high school essay.
You probably hated writing essays in school. They told you to have an introduction paragraph, the body, and the conclusion. Then they said to do the same with each paragraph. Don’t use I and sound really boring. Okay, they might not have said that, but generally, most essays sounded very formal. If you enjoyed writing unique, creative essays, then you are on the right track. I’m not saying to forget everything you’ve learned about writing, I’m just saying that creative writing is much less formal. You want to engage your writer and keep them interested. Don’t let boring monotony kill your story!
Edit your work over and over.
I have come across some people’s writing that was just awful. It was a good story and may have had potential, but it was very poorly written and seemed as though they wrote it once and never looked at it again. If you are writing a piece that you are serious about, especially if you want to publish it, you need to make sure that it is perfect. Print it up, if possible, and read through it a few days after you wrote it. Analyze it and make sure it’s perfect. Then have someone else that you trust go through it as well.
Don’t give up!
For me, writing has always been my dream. I write all the time and I’ve always wanted to be a successful writer. People are always telling me that I am a great writer. If you want to succeed, you can’t give up. Just keep writing and trying to accomplish what you want to accomplish. If you want to publish a novel, do whatever you can to do it.
Write your novel and edit it until you feel it’s perfect. Have a few trusted friends read it and give you some constructive criticism. Send out some query letters to agents and do everything you can to get it published. If you get some poor reactions and you feel like the novel won’t work decide if you feel like it really is good enough to publish and self-publish it, if not, move onto the next novel.
Don’t stop doing what you love. If you really want to succeed, giving up is the worst way to do it. Keep writing and editing, writing and editing, and you just may accomplish your dreams!
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