06/18/2022
Six Things You Can Do to Become a Writer Nancie Carmichael
1. Acknowledge your desire to write.
You must steward the desire. Honor it; acknowledge it, make room for it, prioritize it. When I was in my early twenties, I had a strong desire to write, yet it seemed such an impossible dream. I didn’t have much time, or even know how to go about it. I kept trying, though, and wrote whenever I could. I wrote spasmodically in a journal late at night, or while the children were napping. As I look back, I see how important it was that I fed that desire, even though I couldn’t pursue it full time. I took a writer’s course; I began collecting books by authors on writing and picked their brains from afar. I went to a writer’s conference. The desire to write is a life-long pursuit and worth your full attention.
2. Say “Yes” to your life.
Embrace life where you are; not where you wish you were and write out of that place. Embrace your own unique life (now!) in all its messy, wonderful complexity. As I look back, I see how glad I am that I said “yes” to marrying Bill; to having a family; to saying “yes” to challenges, such as prison ministry, and most recently, to go to seminary. I even said “yes” to some difficult things that caused me pain and those very places have made me grow.
And while you’re living, write about it, journal it. Don’t write past the pain, or questions. Write through them. Cultivate honesty as you journal. It is rich material that you can mine later, for further writing. Use cheap spiral notebooks (not pretty journals) to write your emotions, even if it is a sentence or two. In a notebook, you feel more freedom to write honest, raw material, whereas in a nice journal you tend to be more careful what you record. You may journal best on your computer or iPhone.
3. Take your writing seriously.
Call yourself a writer. When I was a young mom, I cut my finger and needed stitches. At the hospital emergency room, the receptionist asked, “What is your occupation?” I took a deep breath, and for the first time in my life, I said “I’m a writer.” At that point, I was doing good to write a grocery list. But the first person you must convince that you are a writer is yourself. If you don’t take yourself seriously, no one else will.
To take your writing seriously, make a time and a place for your writing.
John Grisham was a struggling young attorney and new father. He got up at five every morning so he could go to work early and scribble fiction on a yellow legal pad. At night John would bang out another page or two on an old word processor resting on a board wedged between the washer and dryer in the laundry room of a three-bedroom home he shared with his wife and infant son. It was slow going, but he became a world-renowned author by starting to make a time and a place for his craft.
4. Have the courage to risk.
Fear keeps us from trying, from being afraid of failing. We fear rejection. But if you are a writer, you must have the courage to start somewhere. Try! Send off a piece or two (after researching places). Getting something in print is a great motivator to keep going, even if it’s on a blog, or a letter to an editor. Opinion pieces are great places to start. If you feel passionate about something, write about it. Many magazines and newspapers as well as online magazines and blogs offer places for opinion pieces.
Editors need to fill the pages, and they’re always looking for a well thought out opinion about something. If you feel a point of view isn’t being addressed by a newspaper or the public, write about it. I wrote an opinion piece for The Oregonian, and they accepted it. Chances are, other people feel the way you do.
5. Have the discipline to work.
Inspiration is lovely, and if you have it, good for you! Unfortunately, we can’t wait for inspiration to show up. Some days it’s just not there, and those are the times you just must do it. It’s work, a discipline. Put your seat in front of your computer, open a document, and start. Just do it. I have often been amazed at knowing I have a deadline and think, “I have nothing to say!” But if I sit down and just start, and somehow the words come.
6. Learn to accept criticism.
Rejection is a form of criticism, but we can learn from it, and not fear it. There are lots of reasons why your manuscript is rejected: It may not fit the venue; the magazine/publisher may have another that’s too similar. It may be that you just haven’t found the right publisher yet. Or it may need so much editing it’s too much trouble for them to use. And (gulp!) it may be poor writing! Or "first-draft writing."
Discouragement is the enemy of every writer, and how important it is to simply see your writing as a craft and learn from feedback. Jeff Herman, a literary agent says, “No rejection is fatal until the writer walks away from the battle leaving dreams and goals behind.”
Try to get feedback from an editor on why you were rejected. Remember: Stay in the required word length! Often a piece is rejected because it’s too long (or too short). Editors simply don’t have time to work on it.
It’s also important not to give your article or book to someone until you’re ready for it to be ready. You can and should be your own best editor. I recommend On Writing Well by William Zinsser on how to do that.
