How to Become a Writer?

Do you aspire to be a writer? Do you find it easier to pen down your thoughts than to speak it aloud? If yes, you should know that a good author not only expresses themselves through their work but also has the ability to immerse their audience into their imagination. If you want to pursue a career as a writer, this blog is for you! Read on to know the details about how to become a writer.

“Writing- the art of communicating thoughts to the mind, through the eye—is the great invention of the world.”- Abraham Lincoln

What Does a Writer do?

As obvious it appears in its name, a writer writes. That’s it! Writers are professionals in a particular language or various languages. They use their skills to write creatives, narrations, articles, reports, informative, or any other composition. Being an extremely versatile profession, writing involves different genres, types, methods, etc. In contemporary times, writing is extremely crucial to each organization. Writers don’t just write but also edit and review articles, blogs, or manuscripts for companies/clients.

Types of Writers

Writing has no bounds. The profession includes various types of writers that people can choose from, without being restricted under one particular type of genre. A person who narrates well can become a story writer, while another person who also narrates well but with facts and figures can become a journalist or news writer. For better understanding, here are a few popular types of writers.

• Screenwriter
• Blogger
• Content Writer
• Copywriter
• Critic
• Translator
• Research Writer
• Financial Writer
• Story Writer/Novelist
• Academics Writer
• Poet
• Lyricist

Skills Required to Become a Writer

Apart from having skilled hands and an imaginative mind, writers must also possess a few other skills to help them succeed in their careers.

• Knowledge of At least 2-3 languages
• Good Observation
• Communication
• Research Skills
• Discipline
• Adaptability
• Good Memory

Step-wise Guide on How to Become a Writer

Students who aspire to become writers must use their early days of preparation to read as much as they can. Right from newspapers to books and novels, reading can help you gain deep insight into various writing styles and also enhance your vocabulary. To make your journey easier, here is a stepwise guide on how to become a writer.

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” ~ Stephen King

Familiarise Yourself With World Literature

If you are wondering how to become a writer, the best way is to familiarise yourself with the world’s literature. One of the best ways to do so is by pursuing a course in English literature, which will not only make you aware of all the literary trends across various timelines but also strengthen your notions of good writing. Here is a list of the top universities around the world for studying English language and literature according to the QS World University Rankings 2020:

University	Country	QS Ranking 2022
University of Oxford	United Kingdom	2
University of Cambridge	United Kingdom	=3
Harvard University	United States	5
University of California, Berkeley (UCB)	United States	32
Stanford University	United States	=3
Yale University	United States	=14
Princeton University	United States	20
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)	United States	40
The University of Edinburgh	United Kingdom	16
University of Toronto	Canada	26

Read this blog to know the History of English Literature 

Study the Right Course

The next step towards how to become a writer is to opt for a course in creative writing. These courses will not only familiarise you with different styles, but you can also choose to focus separately on different genres such as fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction etc. You can choose to get either a master’s degree or a diploma in creative writing to attain the necessary skills

Find Your Own Style

The starting point of a career in writing is to have a unique style. All writers have different topic choices and style of penning that sets them apart from others. To make a successful career in this field, you need to find and develop your own unique style of work, which will put you apart from all other writers in your niche. Your personal style of work will define your unique identity in the world of writing, therefore this is one of the first steps you should be taking if you want to know how to become a writer.

How can creative thinking help you in interviews?

Create A Global Audience

Your success as a writer depends on your audience. Reaching out to a global audience is one of the best ways to make a start in this career, and it’s not a difficult task in this era of the internet. Social media gives you an option of connecting with people all around the world at no extra cost except for the internet charges. Make the best use of your social media accounts including Facebook, Instagram etc to increase the reach of your writings to more people. A good social media presence can help you in getting feedback from your readers along with solidifying your position as a popular writer.

Curate A Portfolio

Creating and maintaining a writing portfolio is quite necessary if you are aspiring to be a great author. So make sure that you build up an awesome portfolio of all your work. This will not only help you map your journey in creative literature but also be beneficial in case you apply for any job position as a composer. Having a portfolio with your best works will make the employer aware of your experience and expertise in the field and will thus increase your chances of getting hired as a writer at any company.  

Top Universities and Courses Offered

Here are some of the popular universities in the world offering courses in creative writing:

University	Country	Courses Offered
University College Dublin	Ireland	MA in Creative Writing MFA in Creative Writing
The University of Hull	United Kingdom	MA in Creative writing MA in English
University College, Cork	Ireland	MA in Creative Writing
University of Sheffield	United Kingdom	Creative Writing MA
University of Technology Sydney – UTS	Australia	Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing Master of Arts in Creative Writing
Western Sydney University	Australia	Master of Arts in Literature and Creative Writing
The University of Alabama	United States	Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
University of Leeds	United Kingdom	Creative Writing and Critical Life MA Writing for Performance and Publication MA
University of Auckland	New Zealand	Master of Creative Writing
University of York	United Kingdom	PGDip Creative Writing (online)

Explore Different Career Opportunities

Now that you know how to become a writer, let’s look at the different career opportunities that are available in this field. Although writers are often self-employed, it is a good idea to explore other career options along with it since it provides some financial security. Some of the jobs most suitable for writers include:

• Content
• Academic
• Copywriting
• Editing
• Proofreading

Checkout these creative career options

Salary

As mentioned above, writing comes with various genres. A person can choose to freelance or can also work under a particular organization. The salary varies depending on the job position and role of the writer. The average salary for a writer in India is INR 365,171 p.a. Apart from the base income, the writer can also write their own blogs, articles or books and earn royalty money. An experienced writer can between INR 380,000- 4 Lakhs p. a.

An Ever-continuous Path

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”- Richard Bach

Last but not the least, nobody becomes a great and well-known author in a day. Establishing your career in this domain needs both time and extensive practice. There is no shortcut in this field, the best way to improve your style is to keep working on it more and more. Reading a variety of topics is a good option since it will add to your knowledge and benefit your writing. The key is to remember that every piece of your work contributes to making you better at your job.

Hope this guide on how to become a writer was useful in making you aware of the process of starting on this career. Want to pursue a creative course? Let our experts at Leverage Edu help you in deciding on the perfect course and university as per your requirements. Sign up for a free session today!