What qualities do writers need? Perhaps the most important is imagination and the ability to put your thoughts on paper figuratively. But finding a job thanks to connections in this business won’t work out for sure. To become a successful writer you will have to first write to the desk, then send your texts to the editors, and then wait for months to respond. Will you be lucky or not, whether your work will seem not only interesting but also in the format demanded by readers – is up to publishers to decide.
The role of innate ability
Writing ability, or rather the tendency to put thoughts in writing is important but by no means the only condition. Life experience, education, and skills play no less of a role. You can’t put on skates for the first time and immediately win an Olympic medal. Likewise, you can’t sit down at a desk and write a good book immediately, without preparation.
There are three pillars of writing practice:
- Technical skill and literary education. In simple terms, a good author must understand stylistics, word forms, and means of artistic expression, and be able to apply all of these competently in practice. A literary education will help in this. The university will not endow the talent, if it is not present, but will help to develop it, to begin to formulate thoughts and images on paper correctly. However, there are many talented self-taught, who became famous. But if sometimes you can do without formal education, the legibility and love for literature – are necessary attributes of all, without exception, successful student writers.
- Life experience. No author, no matter how perfectly he writes, can deeply feel a topic and touch the reader if he is not versed in a particular area. Military, medical, love, criminal, and any other life experience is an important prerequisites for a successful writer.
- Organization and hard work. A person who writes only by inspiration is unlikely to be a good writer. Writing is a daily job to which a lot of time should be devoted.
The Role of Learning
Many people think that if you read enough, it’s a guarantee that you can write well. But no one will play the piano after attending someone else’s concert; no one will learn to paint after looking at an album of reproductions of great artists. It’s the same in literature: if we want to learn to write, we have to go through a learning stage. If you need Edubirdie’s expert help, go to the site. Here you will find writing samples and many other useful materials.
So the manuscript is ready, proofread, and edited. How do improve writing skills and where do we begin our writing career? There are several options for getting your work published.
- Publishing. Anyone who dreams of becoming a real writer most often chooses this path to success. It isn’t a bad option to get started in literature. But it is important to understand that each publisher has its requirements, and you need to familiarize yourself with them before you send your manuscript because if they do not, the text will not even start reading. All the information is usually located on the publisher’s website in the appropriate “to beginner authors” block. To make the chances of success more tangible, it is better to send the manuscript to several places at once, not forgetting to read the requirements of each.
- Post your work on the Internet. If you want to not just become a writer, but also immediately start earning, you can publish your work on a special resource. In this case, the author will be able to receive a certain percentage of the sale of his work.
- Thick literary magazines publish works of little-known writers who are just starting their writing careers. Becoming an author in such a magazine is a step to fame, as publishers are happy to start cooperating with writers who have already had publications.
- Mass editions. These are newspapers and magazines that are read by the general public, and getting on their pages is much easier. Becoming an author in such a publication is a great way to make yourself known. Even if they don’t pay anything for it, the aspiring writer can find his first admirers.
- Literary Contest. This will not publish a manuscript, but it is a real chance to make a name for yourself. Many college writers became famous thanks to them. Literary publishing houses gladly accept the works of such authors, calling the contest a sieve of contemporary talent.
Theory and practice
Like any art form, literature is based on clear rules. Some writers learn them intuitively – and it takes years, but the same amount of information can be obtained much faster – from textbooks.
