What Do You NOT Need to Be a Writer?
By Chrys Fey
1. A Degree in English Literature
I have a GED. I’ve never even taken a college course.
2. A Laptop
In the beginning, I only wrote in notebooks and then on my family’s clunky computer.
3. Money
Many times, I was poor, using coffee filters as toilet paper (because it was all I had), sleeping on the floor, being without cable and the Internet for over a year, and sometimes without electricity for a week. And, yet, I still wrote.
4. A Support System
Your family may not understand why you want to write, and your friends may laugh, but that’s fine. You don’t need anyone’s permission; write for yourself.
5. An Office or Desk
Write at your dining room table, at your kitchen counter, on the couch, in bed, in the bathtub! Write anywhere.
6. A Home
I was never homeless, but I sure felt like it at times. I lived with one sister then the other. I lived with my mom, and then we both lived with my sister. For years, I never felt like I had a home, a real home to call my own. Writing was my true home during those years.
7. A Critique Group, Writing Group, or Mentor
These groups are great, for sure, but they aren’t necessary to write. As far as having a mentor goes, you only need yourself. There will come a time when you’ll need beta readers, and writing friends are the best, but you don’t need someone to tell you how, when, or where to write. You don’t even need them to answer your questions. Many answers can be found in books and on websites if you put in the effort.
8. An Interesting Life
You don’t need a bad childhood or a strange or broken family to write. Whatever you have is enough.
9. An Extrovert Personality
As a matter of fact, most writers are introverts. I’m an introvert. It’s true.
10. Love
You don’t need to be in love to write romance. You could write believable romances as someone who’s never been kissed. Believe it!
BIO:Chrys Fey is the author of Write with Fey: 10 Sparks to Guide You from Idea to Publication. This excerpt is from that book! She is also an editor for Dancing Lemur Press. In addition, she runs the Insecure Writer’s Support Group’s Goodreads book club. Visit her blog, Write with Fey, for more tips and connect with her on Twitter
Also by Chrys Fey:
Howard-Johnson is the author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including the award-winning second editions of The Frugal Book Promoter (where she talks more about choosing and the advantages of winning contests and how to use those honors) and The Frugal Editor. Her latest is in the series is How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically. Learn more on her Amazon profile page, http://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile. Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers is one of her booklets--perfect for inexpensive gift giving--and, another booklet, The Great First Impression Book Proposal helps writers who want to be traditionally published. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it will help them convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. In addition to this blog, she helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs at all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor (http://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com )
