Hmmm… So, you are an aspiring author, but don’t know how or where to start. This is a typical problem faced by many. Many of us have that aspiration of becoming an author and soak in that adulation and celebrity status. But so many of us never make it… The ones that do are the ones that break down barriers. Read on to learn how to become an author.
3 Things
There are three things that you should do immediately.
1. Make up your mind that you want to become an author no matter what. Many potential writers consider writing as their second or third priority and this is where they are never able to become authors.
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2. Start reading as much as you can so that you get to understand what styles established writers use. Read classics to thrillers to self help books to comics and you will have something new to learn. Your writing skills will get the required boost.
3. Start allocating quality time for writing. This time should not be interfered with any other activity. Take out a couple of hours every day and devote it to writing. Let no one or nothing bother you during this time.
Use of Mind and Practice
Becoming an author is a mental thing, which is often a barrier. The faster you remove this mental barrier, the faster you are going to be on your way to becoming an author. And for this, you really need to put in the effort.
Believe it or not, learning to write is a lot like learning to swim or cycle. It takes time and practice. The more you write, the better you get at it.
Writing
Becoming an author doesn’t necessarily mean you have to have a fat book published. There is no harm in starting small. Why not write a novella? A small sized, but impactful book may just get you started on your way to becoming an author. Share your novella with friends and peers and see how they review it. Handling friendly critiques from people you know would not only help you look at your areas of improvement, but also prepare you for receiving critiques’ comments later on.
Publishing
There is also the matter of publishing your book. As a new and upcoming author, you may not have too many publishers showing interest, if they show any interest at all. Consider self publishing and see how your book is received by your readers. Use social media and online blogs to promote your book. You never know, things will fall in place and your first book could get the special attention that it requires.
Becoming an author is a state of mind. Start small but do get started.
Image credit: Joanna Penn on flickr and reproduced under Creative Commons 2.0[
Moumita Goswami is a full-time homemaker and a passionate writer. She stays in Pune with her husband and daughter. After giving up working, she started writing about five years ago and can now be seen using her computer keyboard almost all the time. An MA in Psychology from Calcutta University, Moumita has spent time in Kolkata, Delhi and now Pune. For Moumita, writing started as a sudden chance but she soon discovered her likeness for it. And now she has developed a passion for writing and hardly any day passes without her scribbling a few lines. She dreams of publishing her own book one day and is working towards it.