Writers Write - And Read

Part two in my promised set of resources on How to Write to Get Published. As with so many things, most writers are born, not made. Those who are likely to have the discipline to actually complete articles and books are those who so love to write that their spouses, kids, and friends have to pry their hands off the keyboard to get them to go and play at any other games. If you fall into that category, you don't need any advice from this blog on how to get something written. You may still need help getting into a publishable form, and finding someone to pay you for it, but that will be another post on another day.

For those who have good ideas, are good at story telling, or have something they think needs saying, but don't meet the born-to-write description above, here is what you need to get started: YOU HAVE TO START WRITING. You don't need lessons, classes, or author's clubs. You need to just write a few paragraphs or a few pages on things you know and/or care about. Then you need to do it again...and again...and again.

After you've done this for a few weeks or months, and you actually like doing it, have someone you trust read what you are writing. You want to know from them whether the material is interesting, whether is keeps their attention, and whether the style, grammar, punctuation, and such is reasonably acceptable. After analyzing a bit of this type of critiquing, you may now be ready to take that class, read articles and books about writing, or join an author's club.

P.S. One fantastic way to get started writing is to start a blog. Its totally free. Just click the little blogger button at the top of the page, and you can have your own blog in about 20 minutes. (I don't make a penny from that advice.)