19 Dec 2023

When do you become a writer

What exactly does it mean to be a writer? Are we a writer just when we write? Are we a writer because we publish works? Are you a writer when you are successful? These are interesting questions that should be answered. If you ask this question around you, we could often: “you become a writer when you have published one or more books”.

I'm not sure I share this way of thinking. In my eyes, you become a writer when the desire to write no longer leaves you. When, at some point in your life, you start to write, although this was not the case before. And that you write every day, even regularly.

I was 55 when the desire to write seriously struck me; without knowing how to go about it, or what to do with this desire. I'm talking about writing using your imagination, an activity that I abandoned at the end of my English studies, taken up by my activities as a mother and my professional activities. I have always written, but not necessarily in the way that suited me. Since 2008, I have created this blog around writing and published a number of books. So everything is always possible...

Writing, this inner strength

This desire to write which lurks deep within us is an inner force which irremediably directs us towards this artistic practice. For me, that's what becoming a writer is, even if you've never published anything. From the moment the desire to write is constant within us and gives us this force that pushes us to act, we become a writer. I don't have any truth, it's not my style, but I'm already hearing repulsive comments here and there, like “but who does she think she is?”.

This question is an eternal debate, and no one has the truth. Everyone can provide their own definition of the word 'writer'. Some people will argue that writing is a profession, like others, that must be learned, like any profession. I can only approve. What is generally debated is that some people call themselves 'writers' because they have written something on social networks. I have published 2 edited novels and several free guides, 4 guides edited to date. I therefore consider myself as a 'writer', in perpetual training, a 'writer'< a i=6>, one could say!

I have always been attracted to words, books, everything related to literature, stories. I can no longer count the number of stories I have invented for my children in the evening, because I could no longer bear to read and reread the same stories. In any case, what I know is that I am a big consumer of books!

What I know is that deep down, I feel like an artist. I have always had an artistic soul. I love writing articles for my blog and brainstorming book ideas. You become a writer in your own eyes, not necessarily in the eyes of others. It’s already not bad, even if we don’t publish anything!

Writing, this openness to oneself

Writing is like opening a door to the unknown and the unrecognized that hides deep within you and that you let reveal itself little by little thanks to words. We don't know where this force comes from which pushes us to explore the depths of our desire to write, which pushes us to use our imagination excessively. With each story written, it’s always the same astonishment. It's like a little miracle every time. We set out each time to meet our intimate depths!

It’s like all art, there is an element of magic, a little something that we cannot control. Desire is stronger than everything else, than diplomas, than the looks of others. We don't get rich writing books, except for a few authors. For the most part, we find joy in writing.

If we like to write, if we like to play with words, if we write as soon as we have an idea, if we like the infinite company of books, then, certainly, we are a writer and that constitutes a part of us. We reveal a lot when writing stories. Of course, we use our imagination, but it comes from a base. This imagination is an invisible force that pushes us to invent adventures.

This desire to write constantly tore us between a fictional daily life and reality. What I know is that words can be formidable weapons, which leave an...undeniable mark!

Writing, this visceral need

Writing a book is above all a need before being a desire. A visceral need, we agree on this point. It is a necessity to say, to relate, to tell oneself. Writing is also a vocation. But, it is not an innate gift and I will always fight to break this false myth of the genius that some people have in them to produce successful books. Writing is tedious, intense and requires iron discipline. However, it remains a visceral need.

We write first for ourselves, then for others. Writing most often means revealing one's private life, one's intimate life. We must be ready to expose ourselves, to reveal certain parts of ourselves. Like any activity, a writer needs to educate himself, to be informed, to practice, to receive advice, to progress.

Questions to ask yourself to become a writer

Do you want to devote yourself to writing, even as an experienced amateur? Are you ready to escape from the world during this writing period, to forget your cell phone and the attractive shows on television or your beloved series on Netflix? Always keep in mind that writing means abstracting yourself from the world to create your own world.

Are you writing to publish and edit a book? You must then know your motivations. Do you write for a living? To gain favor with the media? To be recognized in the street? Do you write for yourself? To achieve success, even glory? Do you write to heal? To heal from a traumatic past? Regardless, to write, you have to be and remain demanding of yourself, just as your reader will be.

Do you read a lot? What relationship do you have with books? To become a writer, you must first of all be a reader. Even when we write, we don’t stop reading. Reading is the tool for writing, a precious tool. It means having a permanent reference of the required standards. It is also by reading and writing that we become a writer. The most valuable lessons are the ones you teach yourself, right?

How to find inspiration to write? How do we have imagination? Inspiration most often comes from one's own life, from one's observations. Suffering is the stuff of writing. It is in them that the pool of emotional strength, and therefore creative energy, is forged. Writing is a way of calling the world to witness, or of settling a score, or of sharing one's pain. “Happy people have no story”, we say. Maybe it's true!

The 6 strengths needed to write

At the beginning: the reader will not wait to read 100 pages to enter a novel. This is done from the first pages. The hook is therefore essential. We can use a simple sentence that includes the elements of a context. From the first paragraph, we must find a dynamic to hook the reader, create a rhythm, not frantic either. It’s good to start from a detail or an overall point of view to launch the story. Dialogues should be avoided.

2. At work: writing means implementing hellish discipline. It's best to write every day, at your own pace and persist, whatever the situation or mood of the day. Whatever you produce, write. Finding your style is also important preliminary work. To find it, you have to rely a lot on yourself, without borrowing writing styles. It's better to create your own imprint.

3. Concentration: writing a first draft can take 3 to 6 months. You should not spend too much time on a first draft. This is why it is preferable to only carry out one project at a time to concentrate on it. Being well documented is necessarily essential, but the goal is not to become a specialist in the subject. Documentation serves as context, but is not the story.

4. The requirement: it is appropriate for everyone to find their rhythm in the evolution of their history. It is better to speed up the pace and practice cuts to do this. Every scene must have a reason for being. The useless and the superfluous are bad decorations and will discourage the reader. Long descriptions of landscapes and long dialogues must be avoided at all costs. Having a good plot is essential. Everything that is a plus must serve it.

5. Originality: you must always amaze and surprise the reader on each page. It's a question of being polite to him. The conclusion of a book is as essential as a good beginning.

6. The characters: if it helps you, you can write a complete biography of your characters before putting them on stage, like the writer Katherine Pancol.< /span> Make cards with the physical characteristics, habits, past, and weaknesses of your characters. You will then know how to make them react and confront them in all kinds of situations. You animate them like puppets, as you wish. Take inspiration from those close to you, from the characters present in your series.