by Ruth Belena

Created on: June 18, 2009   Last Updated: July 20, 2009

When you tell someone you are a writer and the response may well be one of envy. Some people say it is their dream to be a writer, they have always wanted to write a book, or wish they could write for a living. There is one important difference between those who desire to write and those who enjoy life as a writer. Real writers have no time to waste on dreaming of what they want to be, they should be too busy writing.

In your early years as a writer you can expect to hear some unhelpful remarks, but you should never listen to people who do not believe, nor understand, that it is possible for you to live as a writer.

Tell everyone that you are a writer, even if you are not writing full-time, or you are not yet earning a full-time income from writing. Let your family and friends know not to disturb you when you write. It is important for them to understand your need to write, and why the time you spend writing is so important.

Look for any opportunity to write, and aim to improve your writing skills. You may want to go to college to learn more about journalism and media studies, before submitting to journals and newspapers, or to take classes in creative writing, before submitting to magazine and book publishers. A writer must also learn about rejection and discover how to overcome disappointment.

Take advantage of any constructive criticism, and become more determined to have your writing published, read and appreciated. Always stick close to publishers guidelines and try to develop different styles, so you can write in various formats.

Use what you know. Your first success as a writer may come from publishing articles or reviews online. Write informatively on popular and interesting topics, with effective keywords in your titles, tags and content. Then your articles can be found in search results and will be read by English speaking people around the world.

It matters little at what age you first become a published writer, or whether your work appears in print or online. From that moment on you can build up a portfolio of your published work and earn a good income as a freelance writer.

Create your own life as a writer by being productive and proficient. You will not be a successful writer if you only write occasionally. Even if you continue to write novels or non-fiction books, you need to brand yourself as an author. With self belief and a talent for writing, you can create your own successful life as a writer.

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