Short Story Writing – Six Things You Need To Be A Professional Writer

You love words and stories, and you dream of seeing your work published. But do you have what it takes? What do you need to transform your dreams into a practical plan? This checklist will help you streamline your life to ensure you are set to achieve your ambition.
1. Someone else to earn your money.
If you want to write for the pure joy of creation and wordplay, set aside any dreams of earning money from your work. Yes, if you have enough imagination to create an entire new world of fictional characters, you can also imagine the story becoming a multi-million dollar best-seller. But if your true goal is to attune your work to your own unique voice, you need to concentrate on the joy of writing rather than potential profit. This doesn’t pay the bills, so find a supportive partner who is willing to indulge and bank-roll your fantasy career. Too difficult? Find a career that doesn’t sap your imagination, so you can write for a few hours each night after work.
2. Scribble paper and notepads
There are people who say: “Yes, I always thought I could write a book if I had the time,” and there are people who have notebooks and scribbled bits of paper crammed and stashed in every corner of their home. If you hoard notebooks filled with half-finished masterpieces, then you are a dedicated writer.
3. Overflowing bookshelves
Writers love to read, because we love to escape into other worlds. Reading will also teach you how to shape a plot and outline a character. If you feel vaguely dissatisfied that you can’t find the story you’ve always wanted, it’s probably because you haven’t written it yet!
4. Quiet time, private place
You need some quiet time every day, to allow your ideas to bubble and thicken into stories. Perhaps you take a walk on your own, or lie awake at three in the morning after the baby’s gone back to sleep, or you drive without the radio on. Your “thinking time” is invaluable preparation for when you can finally sit down to write.
You also need a private place to keep all your writing paraphernalia, so you are confident nobody is reading rough drafts, and so you know where you will be sitting next time you are ready to write.
5. An Audience
It’s not a real story until somebody besides the author has read it. If you are serious about writing, you need the confidence to show your work to other people. You are not looking for polite admiration; you want readers who will ask for more. Make sure any stories you share are complete and meticulously edited. Present your work professionally, whether you are showing the story to your auntie or publisher. Start with the friends and family market. Then move into the Internet, where your readership will slowly increase by hits and clicks.
6. A Deadline
Without a strict deadline, you will never finish your masterpiece. You will simply start another story before you’ve finished the last, and your stash of notebooks will be filled with unfinished tales. If you don’t have an ardent publisher begging for your work, try creating some professional deadlines of your own. Writing competitions are a great incentive to complete a new story within a specific time-frame. Writing groups will also inspire you, as you will need to finish a piece of work before the next meeting. Once you are finishing stories to meet deadlines, and passing them on to your growing audience – then congratulations! You are officially a professional writer!