Growing up, we have often been faced with stereotypes of what period one ought to start something, or what career offers a place of prestige more than others. Moreover, in studying for those careers and aspirations, the simpler things we wished to achieve in our lives and only get discovered when as adults we’ve run full circle and come back to those childhood wishes within us.
Some of us recall being inspired by our favorite authors or bloggers, or columnists in the newspapers. We were enthralled by their adept mastery of words and resolved within ourselves to become an author and write beautiful stories or articles that can positively influence the sector we choose to write on – until life ‘occurred’ to us. Now with three grown children, a spouse and so much time gone, you sometimes find yourself wondering: is it too late to work on this? With my age, commitments and how far I have gone in life, can I still work towards becoming a writer?
How to be a writer? Starting a writing career requires your time, dedication, and readiness for anything. It also requires you to find your niche for a start. What tickles your fancy or stirs up that deep passion inside, making you feel like you are about to explode with words? Pay close attention to it. It could be political issues, domestic violence irrespective of who is at the receiving end, science fiction, hi-tech, cartoons, etc.
The next thing is to discover the audience that enjoys reading your type of works – children, adults, teenagers or anyone who needs to “write my paper” but don’t want to do it themselves – it’s a good start. If you are working towards becoming a novelist that writes about romance or stories that portray the features of true love, particularly to youth, you need to make your writing meaningful and understandable for any young person. Your stories should have an aura surrounding them that keeps the reader glued to the very ending.
You also need to brace yourself for rejections, because a lot of publishing companies might reject your script, citing one reason or the other. Make the best use of the reasons you hear by using them as opportunities to improve your work and cut out the excesses. Rejection does not mean your work is useless; it only means the right publishing company has not found you yet. Also, there are many options for self-publishing these days, with plans that can align, to an extent with your pocket.
Listening to other authors speak about their experience in the writing industry goes without saying. Sometimes, finding an author who is committed to your genre or a column writer who dishes out articles connected to your area of interest can be what you need to stir your drive to be a better writer and come up with ideas that will surprise even you.
Another thing you can do is start little; you have social media as a tool. Use it; start by posting short stories or articles aimed at analyzing certain world issues or political issues. Tag your friends, especially those who have a thing for literary works. Sometimes we get so familiar with our ‘gold’ that we just see it as ‘a shining yellow metal.' Sometimes we need others around us to help us identify our treasure. If you have friends or colleagues that are into the world of writing or have acquaintances that work in the capacity of editors and have an experienced eye for good writing, you can send in your work to them to review and suggest sweeter scenarios or effective ways to create suspense. Listening to experienced people can go a long way in helping you build your writing career.
No matter what phase of life you are in, always remember: it is never too late. The world is wide enough one more tangible opinion or breath-stealing story. Let your voice be heard; your work might be the inspiration someone needs to change his world for good.
Some of us recall being inspired by our favorite authors or bloggers, or columnists in the newspapers. We were enthralled by their adept mastery of words and resolved within ourselves to become an author and write beautiful stories or articles that can positively influence the sector we choose to write on – until life ‘occurred’ to us. Now with three grown children, a spouse and so much time gone, you sometimes find yourself wondering: is it too late to work on this? With my age, commitments and how far I have gone in life, can I still work towards becoming a writer?
The answer is, absolutely yes! There is no specific age range dedicated to starting; it is mostly about starting right and staying dedicated to it. As many accomplished authors and writers would tell you, in the world of literary exploits, age is nothing but a number. A 50-year-old author can achieve as much as a 27-year-old writer, and even more. Your ability to work on the creativity embedded in you and convert it to words that capture the soul of your audience is what makes you a step closer to becoming a good writer.
The next thing is to discover the audience that enjoys reading your type of works – children, adults, teenagers or anyone who needs to “write my paper” but don’t want to do it themselves – it’s a good start. If you are working towards becoming a novelist that writes about romance or stories that portray the features of true love, particularly to youth, you need to make your writing meaningful and understandable for any young person. Your stories should have an aura surrounding them that keeps the reader glued to the very ending.
You also need to brace yourself for rejections, because a lot of publishing companies might reject your script, citing one reason or the other. Make the best use of the reasons you hear by using them as opportunities to improve your work and cut out the excesses. Rejection does not mean your work is useless; it only means the right publishing company has not found you yet. Also, there are many options for self-publishing these days, with plans that can align, to an extent with your pocket.
Listening to other authors speak about their experience in the writing industry goes without saying. Sometimes, finding an author who is committed to your genre or a column writer who dishes out articles connected to your area of interest can be what you need to stir your drive to be a better writer and come up with ideas that will surprise even you.
No matter what phase of life you are in, always remember: it is never too late. The world is wide enough one more tangible opinion or breath-stealing story. Let your voice be heard; your work might be the inspiration someone needs to change his world for good.
