Q: How do I Become a Writer? A: Ditch the Bad Advice

I hate watching people give aspiring authors horrible advice because, unfortunately, the aspiring authors usually don't know the difference.

Google, “How can I be a writer?” and see the nonsense gibberish you get back from all the self-appointed experts out there who actually have no idea what they're talking about. Or, from, God save me, AI. 

At this moment, there's some “advice” online that I’d like to just blow out of the water right now. The nonsense reads like this:

1.  Write each day

2.  Start a blog and update it all the time

3.  Read a lot

4.  Invest in AI software

5. If you want to write a novel consider using a plot generator

 I stopped at number five because I had to go kill myself.

 Let's quickly go over these in a tiny bit more detail:

1. Write each day.  Seriously?

No, no, no my friends, the question that needs to precede that is, “Do you know HOW to write?” Because if you don't, you can “write each day” for the rest of your life, but you will never earn a dime as a writer.

2. Start a blog and update it all the time. That's adorable.

Okay, well, in all fairness, that's not 100% bad advice. I have a travel blog because I specialize in travel writing. I have a website too. You're on it right now. And I'm updating it as we speak.

But… I know how to write.  

It's not that you can't crank out poorly written posts on a Blog every day, but if you're trying to build a following and convince people–or more to the point, convince clients– that you're a professional writer, this action is nothing more than an exercise in futility.  

I primarily write web content for various clients but I do write for a few magazines too. However, regarding web content, there's something called a “bounce rate,” which simply means how fast someone “bounces” off a web page for one reason or another. Psssst…the poorer the writing, the higher the bounce rate. Poorly written content by amateurs=high bounce rate=goodbye to whatever your goal was with your blog.

3. Read a lot. NOW we’re getting somewhere. Whoops, no we’re not.

Virtually anyone who (truly) makes their living writing, including the person writing this post, reads all the time. Some things just go together in this life and that's a great example. I don't know any other full-time author who doesn't read a lot just like I do. Reading definitely helps hone your skills. I would never argue with that. It's probably one of the best tools you have with which to hone your skills. The problem with this advice, though, is that you have to acquire the skills first before you can hone them. Reading alone won’t get you there.

4.  Invest in AI Software. Pass the nausea meds, please.

If you don't have writing skills and you're looking for a shortcut, you'll probably rush to “invest in AI software.” It won’t make you a writer.  Ever. It will make you a purchaser of software. It will not give you talent, it will not give you skills, it will give you AI churned out nonsense for you to pass off as your own. And prospective clients will know it.

5. Consider Using a Plot Generator. This is where I bailed out and killed myself.

   
   

It’s simple. If you need a plot generator, you are not a novelist and you never will be. If you are not creative enough to come up with a plot– or more to the point if you don't have several plots bubbling in your head at all times– you are certainly not creative enough to write an entertaining book.

Now that we've eliminated some worthless online “advice,” I'll tell you what to do if you want to be a writer:

Learn…The…Craft…Properly.

Then, work your way up from the bottom just like I did, just like other journalists did, just like other web content writers did, just like your favorite novelist did, just like anyone who makes a living in the literary world had to do.

There is no lazy way to become a writer, and those looking for one don’t belong in this business.

(If you’re offended by that, the offended people exit is right over there…)