So You Want to be a Writer…

With the decade dwindling down, writers and non-writers alike are scrambling to make a list of New Year’s Resolutions that will inevitably last a few weeks before they peter off, and it’s business as usual. You realize this, and you think, “Hey, wait a minute, I wanted to be a writer this year.” And you resolve to start back up again…on Monday. It takes some preparation after all. And you do, you follow through. You put a few words on the page for a few weeks, but you a hit a block. You take some breathing room. Some time to mull over a difficult part in your writing.

And you leave it. And you decide that maybe you’re not a writer after all.

But guess what, my friend. That’s not true! You are a writer! Putting words on the page is what writers do, even if it’s just a few words a day. Even if it’s just a few words scattered throughout a few weeks. That makes you a writer.

Let’s take a look at a few tips to make writing a habit.

1. Believe you are a writer. Even if it’s just a few words a day, you wrote them. Those words are yours. Own them.
2. If your goal is to write more regularly, schedule some time in your week for it. Notice that I didn’t say, “Schedule some time in your day for it.” That’s not a typo. I’m good at a lot of things that I don’t do every single day. For example, I like to think of myself as a good baker, but I don’t bake every single day. The same goes for writing. You don’t need to feel pressured to write every day.
3. Don’t wait until Monday. You can take this tip literally if you’d like, but it’s also applicable metaphorically. Don’t wait until you feel “inspired” to pick up your pen. Part of writing is hitting blocks and working through them. Even when it’s hard. Much like pep talk I use to convince myself to hit the gym, writing comes down to discipline even more than motivation. Those times you scheduled in Tip #2? Show up for them. Even when you feel uninspired. They will pay off, I promise you.
4. Find a support group. Many writers find support on social media. Writerly friends who become beta readers and critique partners who are there for you when you hit a block and there to encourage you to keep going. Writing does not have to be a solitary endeavor.

So you want to be a writer in 2020? You can do it! Use some of these tips to set yourself up for success.