Overcoming two major challenges of becoming a writer

By Dennis Mellersh

Two of the main challenges facing the new or beginner writer wanting to create a book-length project involve the problem of  isolation and the tendency to underestimate what is involved in the learning process of becoming a writer.

Insofar as the average beginner writer is not likely working in a professional publishing environment, “isolation” refers to  learning and working alone without the benefit of personal writing mentoring.

“Underestimating what is required to be a writer” refers to the mistaken belief that writing creativity is inherently in all of us and that we just have to find the key to releasing this creativity and we can all be writers.

Learning to write should be an interactive process

I was fortunate in my writing career because my first job in my early twenties was as an editorial trainee in the editorial services department of a major national magazine publisher. In that position I was taught how to write by experienced, expert writers.

This training, which included learning all the aspects of effective research, reporting, and eventually editing, was done under the watchful eyes of people whose entire work experience was related to writing as a means of earning a living. Essentially, aside from the work involved, this job milieu meant I had a relatively smooth path in the process of learning how to become a writer.

But if I had been faced years ago with trying to learn all of the knowledge from my training period on my own, in isolation, and without help, it would have been much more difficult. I was lucky to have these professional writers to learn from and I have been earning my living as a writer ever since.

As I also discovered in the years since, however, learning about effective writing is a life-long process. It is not something you ever completely “master.”

So, if you are a beginning writer and you are trying to learn it all on your own you need to do something to overcome the isolation factor. You need to position yourself so that you can learn from the experience of other writers. Eventually, as you mature in the process of becoming a writer, you will be able to absorb more on your own, particularly through constantly practicing the art of writing.

In other words, you need to take steps to make your experience of learning how to write more interactive. In addition to making the learning to write process more effective and reducing the learning-time curve, interactivity with other writers, and discussing  ideas with them, is something you need emotionally and creatively.

While it may be true that creative writing can be a lonely profession, nevertheless talking with and learning about other writers of all experience levels and capabilities should be an important part of developing your idea-generating ability.

This obviously cannot be done in a vacuum.

Here are five ways you can reduce your isolation as a beginner book-writer

(1) In addition to going to the library as part of your book-reading program, there are sometimes discussion groups you can attend that talk about various books including the writing techniques used in those books. While these discussion groups may not be directly on the topic of learning to write, the exchange of ideas could be helpful to you. You might even ask your local library or community center if you could start up a group for writers and/or people interested in books.

(2) Take part in writing workshops and seminars, whether in person, or through Internet teaching/discussions, sometimes known as “webinars.” Try to find some free ones to get familiar with the process before you take any writing seminars that require you to spend money.

(3) Sign up for writing courses; ideally ones you can take in person, such as at a local high school, college, or university.  But if necessary, correspondence writing courses, either by regular mail or online. Obviously, taking a course in person will provide more personal contact with the teacher and the other students, but correspondence courses usually feature some form of feedback from the instructor. There are courses now being offered online that are free, although their interactivity will not likely be the same as a paid course.

(4) Read biographies of writers, such as John Steinbeck, the novelist, Dylan Thomas the poet, or Guy de Maupassant, the “father”  of the modern short story. Also read the journals/diaries and autobiographies of writers. Find online discussion groups or forums, or services, such as Yahoo Answers, which focus on writing and participate in the interchange of ideas.

(5) Read books about the craft of writing, particularly those written by people who make their living by writing – as many as you can get your hands on. Even if the advice seems to become repetitive, you can usually find some good ideas in any of these types of books. Read articles about successful writers in online literary magazines, on Wikipedia, and other sources.

All of the methods outlined above can reduce your sense of isolation as a writer and also add to your knowledge about the art of writing.

Solving the problem of underestimating the requirements of the  learning to write process

The problem of underestimating the amount of work or learning involved in becoming a writer is less a matter of taking specific actions, and more about simply realizing that learning to write, and more specifically learning to write a book, is an acquired skill.

Just as you needed time and a learning curve to gain your expertise in your job, in your hobbies or special interests, or in the skills you need to manage your home as a homemaker, acquiring the skills needed to be able to consider yourself a writer also takes time.

It takes effort to gain proficiency in any of life’s skills, and it is no different in acquiring the skill of writing effectively. I’m sure I don’t need to overemphasize this point. If you didn’t realize it, you likely would not have read to the end of this article.