In a podcast about writing, the speaker said, “All my life I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I wasn’t writing.”
I’ve met many people like this. They call themselves “aspiring writers.” Some have a dream of writing but will never pursue it. Others, in reality, wish to have written but don’t want to put in the hard work to make it happen. The rest are content to merely talk about writing as if talking equates to doing.
To become a writer, here are four simple steps:
Write
Sit yourself down and start writing, every day, even when you don’t feel like it. As Nike says, “Just do it.”
Share
I’ve met people afraid to let anyone see their work. I get that. Sharing our words can be scary, but to be a writer, we need to have readers.
Revise
As we receive feedback, we hone our skills, either tweaking that piece or applying the lessons learned to the next one.
Repeat
Continue this process—forever.
Yeah, there’s more, but these are the essentials. Don’t worry about the rest until you’re doing these four critical steps.
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Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD, is a full-time, career author. He’s published scores of books, hundreds of articles, and thousands of blog posts, with experience as a publisher, editor, and commercial freelance writer. A passionate wordsmith, his goal is to change the world one word at a time. Learn more at PeterLyleDeHaan.com.
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