How can you become an author and what does it take to be one?
To start off this research round, I decided to look into the basics with given links. Which then made me realize, that there’s a whole lot of categories for “Writing”. There are many different types of writer, some being: novelists, poets, script writers, editors, journalists, etc. So, which one is the right one to look into? Well for me, I’m probably going to take the direction of a novelist, so I’ll mainly be keeping that one as the main focus, though others may be mentioned so it isn’t brief. (More towards the 3rd round, as stated in previous post) (1) https://www.thebalancesmb.com/college-writing-majors-1360278
From the looks of most sites I’ve checked, the reccomended path is getting some form of degree in Fine Arts/Arts and English. These are what will give you more options as you get older, and open doorways for different kinds of opportunities. It is reccomended to build up a portfolio of your work, if you plan to have an agent look at it. From what I’ve read on the website, it seems that going towards the master’s degrees are mainly towards people who want to write for medical/science research, which of course would require professional addressing. Writers need basic skills of course, grammar, spelling, word usage, etc. Those can be developed through their own practice and schooling. These skills can then branch off into other abilities that you’ll need for storytelling, such as plot development, story contstruction, character development, and more. (2) https://www.theartcareerproject.com/become/novelist/
Besides just school education, a writer needs to enhance their skills in their own spare time too. The way a writer can do so is by writing during their free time, planning their stories and characters, and thinking of new ideas. Some people think of new ideas off the top of their head, while others take inspiration from other written works, even just wandering around the house can suddenly spark a new idea. Those are more on the fun side though. A writer is also responsible for researching about what they’re creating. Some stories take place in already existing places, and having a decent understanding of the place could just help you connect with your audience. (3) https://writingcooperative.com/so-you-want-to-be-a-fiction-writer-52c546014d92
Sources:
- https://www.thebalancesmb.com/college-writing-majors-1360278
- https://www.theartcareerproject.com/become/novelist/
- https://writingcooperative.com/so-you-want-to-be-a-fiction-writer-52c546014d92
http://educhoices.org/articles/How_to_Become_a_Writer_Education_and_Training_Requirements_for_Becoming_a_Professional_Writer.html
Hi Giulia! I find your subject, while not as over-the-top as some others, very intriguing. It was interesting to read what steps that are recommended to be taken if one wants to become a writer, as many people, including me, don’t really know. I feel like most of us view successful writers as geniuses from the start, while that isn’t exactly the case and your post showed that to me. I look forward to read what other information you find on your inquiry journey and I will make sure to leave a comment on your next post as well!
Some resources you could use are:
https://jerryjenkins.com/how-to-become-an-author/
https://www.businessinsider.com/stephen-king-on-how-to-write-2014-8
https://www.learnhowtobecome.org/writer/
Hi Guilia,
Great to hear that you know what path you hope to go into in the future. Possibly in you next post you could also add some of your own personal aspects in writing. How you find inspiration on what to write or if you get a writers block what helps you to get back and track. Just some suggestions you could use but don’t have to.
Hope to hear more soon!
Hey Giulia,
I also love writing although I wouldn’t consider it for a career path. Your post was very well organized and informative, and I enjoyed reading it. I think that you could research the other types of writing degrees that one can get, and what sort of career paths are optioned to which majors. You also could look into popular authors and what type of schooling they had as not all majored in English or anything to do with writing; for example, the author V.E Schwab who wrote the Shades of Magic series and the Villains series has a Masters of Science in Medieval Art History rather than anything writing. Many other authors have or had other jobs before and while they wrote. Furthermore, you could look into what to do once you’ve written your work. As in, how to edit it and get it published.
Here are some sources I hope may help you:
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/college-writing-majors-1360278
https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/author/how-to-become/
http://www.publishingtalk.eu/getting-published/how-to-get-published/
I can’t wait to read your next post,
Ellen