To Become a Writer, Just Do These Two Things

Why did you first have the idea to become a writer? I could be wrong, but it was probably because you read a book that touched you so deeply, that pierced you to your core, that you thought, “Wouldn't it be amazing to inspire this feeling in others?”

Why We Become Writers

In other words, you first dreamed of becoming a writer not to get famous, not to become a New York Times bestseller, not so you could tell people at parties, “I'm an author. Aren't I amazing?”

No, you first dreamed of becoming a writer to create a deep connection. You wanted another person to know how you felt. You wanted to change someone's life.

5 Lies Distracting You From Your Purpose

But as you thought more about becoming a writer, and as you talked about your dream with others, doubts and distractions arose:

Skepticism: How are you going to make a living as a writer?
Vanity: could writing make you famous?
Pride: I'm a much better writer than Stephenie Meyer?
Fear: But what if I'm rejected?
Doubt: No one is going to read my writing anyway. What's the point?

Slowly, that original desire became distorted until you can actually believe your main goal is just to be a bestselling author, when in reality, you want so much more. You want to change the world.

Two Things You Can Do Right Now to Become a Writer

It's time to rediscover your dream to become a writer. Now is the time to remember what writing is really about for you.

And to do that, you don't need a publisher or a blog with thousands of visitors or even a book.

You only need two things to become a writer:

Write your story.
Share your story with the world.

It's really that simple.

Become a Writer Today

I asked Seth Godin what the single most important thing you can do to become a successful writer.

Seth said, write another story. “And the second most important thing is to share it.”

That's it. You don't need a plan. You don't need to know anything about marketing. You just need to write a good story (not a perfect one) and share it.

When did you first want to become a writer? Let me know in the comments.

PRACTICE

Imagine the moment you first wanted to be a writer. For me, I was in my room reading a book by Charles Dickens (A Tale of Two Cities, I believe).

Then, free write, letting that pure energy pervade your writing.

Write for fifteen minutes. When you're finished, post your practice in the comments section.

Have fun!

Joe Bunting

Website

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris, a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

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