by nissa_amas_katoj

Created on: January 11, 2009

So you want to become a published writer- but how? If you are reading this article because you know your writing skills need improvement, congratulations! You have just taken the first step to becoming a writer that is good enough for publication. Knowing that your skills could be improved- any everyone's skills could be improved- is essential for a writer.

First you must decide what kind of published writer you want to be. The skills for writing an article about economics are different for those involved in writing a romance novel. Which kind of writing is your dream? Some would-be writers start out in the wrong field and thus set themselves up for defeat. For example, the writer who decides that the market is hot for science fiction right now and pens something based on childhood memories of watching a science fiction television show will not be a success. Write what you care about, not what you think might be hot.

You must read the kind of writing that you hope to do. Read lots of it. Read both works by the masters in the field and works by new writers just starting out. Read them every day until you can tell the difference between the good and the bad, the great and the hopeless. To be a good writer, you must be a good reader.

Don't go it alone. There are other writers out there who have already mastered the kind of writing you hope to do. You may not be able to chain them to your desk until they teach you their writing secrets, but you can learn those secrets in other ways. For one thing, you can read books about how to do different kinds of writing. There are books on how to write magazine articles and books on how to write novels in general, or how to write science fiction, fantasy, romance or mystery novels in general. Look through the books available and pick a few that might be helpful to you. You might also read interviews with authors famous in the field you hope to write in.

Study the little things, like spelling and proper usage. If you are a poor speller, for example, practice a little every day to improve your spelling. The time you spend now on improving these skills is time you won't have to spend editing error-filled first drafts.

Create a good writing area in which to work. There must be a place for your computer, a bookshelf to store the books you might currently be using for a reference, and a place to store the papers you use and generate. Set up your area to avoid distractions. In my own case I am setting up a writing area in which I will NOT have internet access, because I find that so much of a distraction that I don't get things done. Luckily I have a laptop computer which I can carry from my writing area to another area where I do have internet access.

Work in your writing area daily. You want to develop good writing habits and good writers write every day. Give yourself a daily goal, either in hours spent or in words or pages written, and meet those goals. And there is another kind of work you have to do in your writing area every day- that of decluttering the space. When you write in an area, you generate piles of books and papers, which must be put away regularly or you will never find anything ever again.

Improving your writing skills involves a lot of hard work. Are you willing to do that work in order to live your dream of being a published writer? There are no quick fixes or magic bullets to help you along. It is all up to you.

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