4 Things You Need To Do Before You Can Call Yourself A Writer

There’s a lot of debate in the writing world about what actually constitutes “being a writer”. This argument has been around for as long as writers have existed. Some will tell you that you simply need to write. To these people, the act of writing on a regular basis makes you a writer, in the same way that painting makes you a painter. Others will take it a bit further: they might tell you that you can’t be considered a writer until you’ve been published or until you have readers.
Ray Bradbury said that, in order to be a writer, you need to write 1,000 words per day – and you need to do that every single day for three years in a row. Drastic? Maybe, maybe not.
There are as many answers to the “what makes a writer?” question as there are people who write. But here are a few suggestions for ways that you can break through the mold and start to feel like – and be viewed as – a writer.
1) Write a lot
I can almost hear your sarcastic thoughts after reading the title of this section. “Write a lot. Got it. Any other earth-shattering advice, genius?” But, seriously. You need to plan on writing every single day of your life. If you miss a day, don’t sweat it, but as a guideline you should be writing on a daily basis. What you write isn’t as important. Just write! Write about your day. Create a short story. Do a blog post. Close your eyes and start banging away at your keyboard if you have to. As long as you’re producing new words on a daily basis you will continue to improve your writing skills.
2) Read a lot
Virtually all of the most successful writers in history were also avid readers. There are probably few exceptions to this rule, if any. Stephen King says in his autobiography, “On Writing”, that he dedicates a minimum of four hours every day to reading. That’s because reading gives you ideas, new perspectives, and constantly introduces you to different writing styles that you can incorporate into your own work. You don’t have to read for four hours per day, but try to find plenty of time for reading. It’ll pay off by improving your writing.
If I was forced to illustrate this point via analogy, it would go something like this: chef is to eating as writer is to reading. And no, I’m not telling you to eat your books (bad joke). But how good of a chef can you become if you’re not constantly trying different foods made by other chefs? That’s where your ideas come from. Same goes for writers.
(at this point, I think you can start calling yourself a writer. You’ve developed a consistent, strict regimen of reading and writing. You’re creating things. But if you’re looking for people to take you seriously, you’ll have to do more. That’s where these next steps come in… )
3) Build an Audience
What good is your writing if there’s nobody around to read it? Sure, keeping a private journal or writing stories for yourself can be quite satisfying for several reasons, but writers generally produce words in order to have them read by other people. The more the better. And if you want to make a living doing this, having readers is absolutely essential. It’ll also help you get your name out there and be perceived as a writer. Whether you start a blog or publish a book, your writing needs eyeballs.
4) Get Paid
Some people won’t consider you a true writer unless you’ve been paid for your work. It might not be fair, but, for the most part, it’s true. If your goal is to be perceived by society as a professional writer or author, you need to sell some work. And don’t worry, you don’t have to publish the next Great American Novel in order to accomplish this. If you’re making money from your blog or selling articles or sales letters to businesses, you, my friend, are a writer.