What's It Take To Be A Writer?

First of all, I want to thank sweet friend for thinking of me to handle such a huge endeavor for him. Sweetie, I will do all I can to make this the site you always wanted it to be. I can't make any promises, but I'll do everything in my power to make others think you're a genius.

With that, I've spent the past couple of weeks going over the site trying to get a feel for what was needed here. In the beginning, this was a site about being an online writer and what that meant for the common person. Well, I can attest to the fact that writing online has its ups and its downs. The ups will take you to the highest point you've ever been in your life, and the lows will show you places in your soul that you didn't know existed.

But that's not what this post is about. This post is about being a writer in general.
What does it take to be a writer?
Do you have to have a formal education from an Ivy League school? No.
Do you have to have 4 or 5 books under your belt and be known on all the book signing circuits? No.

Well, what do you have to do to be a writer??? Simple. You have to be able to write.

Yep, that's it. Okay, so there is a little more to it than that, but in general, that's it. Now, if you're planning on being a reporter for some fancy newspaper, then a formal education might be in order. But for the normal person who's always had a dream of becoming a writer, it's as easy as sitting down in front of a computer, a typewriter, or with pen and paper and getting those thoughts out of your head.

So how to we separate the good writers from the bad? Well, that's a little trickier. First of all, a good writer will have a basic knowledge of how to correctly spell certain words and how to use correct punctuation. Personally, I still have a little trouble with the fancier punctuation marks, but for the most part it's not that hard. If you do have problems in this area, I suggest getting yourself a copy of The American English Usage and Style Manual (By: Paul W. Lovinger). You can also use the Chicago Usage and Style Manual, but they're pretty much the same.

If you have trouble spelling, which a lot of people do, get yourself a dictionary. Guess what, most writers use them on a daily basis. And last but not least, get yourself a Thesaurus. I love mine so much that the pages are falling out. These are the basic items that all writers should have near them at all times. Oh, and always carry a notebook of some kind with you. You never know when an urge will hit you and don't be ashamed to write something down while at the grocery store or hanging out at the arcade.

Now, put your thoughts to paper, or computer screen, or whatever you're using. Just get them down before they fly away. The biggest problem with being a writer is that most of us are actually scatter brained, but that's the stuff for a future post. Think about what it is that you want to write about. Are you looking to write the next great American novel? Do you want to create a television series or write a screenplay? Whatever it is that's running through your mind, get it down so that you can look at it and feel it. Remember, seeing is believing and if you see what you can do, you'll believe in your own abilities.

That's all for today, but stick around because I've got a lot of ideas for upcoming posts. And, if you've got some ideas you'd like me to talk about, let me know in the comments section of this or any future posts. And to my little friend out there, I love you and you're in my prayers.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010
 Guest posted by Christine Senter