How To Become An Author

A decade ago I never would have dreamed I'd be writing books. I was that kid who was always reading. Even in university I'd be reading a lot. One of my classmates walked in before a lecture and asked "what are you reading now?" I'm not sure she ever saw me outside class without my nose in a book, so to speak.

Covid hit and I was lost. Before writing I worked with horses, but stopped a couple years prior. I'm not even sure what made me begin writing novels. I'd already written fanfic, but nothing like what I'd call a properly plotted story. My plots were good enough people did enjoy reading them, or maybe it was the way I wrote characters, but my writing skills were not where they needed to be.

Never one to pass up a challenge, I took writing courses online. I needed to learn about everything, from plotting and structure to character development, and more. Those courses were so invaluable to becoming a professional author, and not just someone writing books. I still attend online seminars to improve my skills.

In 2020 I published my first book. It was actually Runaway Magic, but the first edition. I learned so much writing that book. However, my writing was still new and I made mistakes. A year or two later, after a few more books, I wrote it again. The story itself didn't change, but how I told it did. I needed more time to really learn to write.

The more we write, the better we get. That's assuming we're learning and trying to be better. I know from writing fanfics that we can write a lot and not actually improve if we don't know we need to. If I were to rewrite my early books again, of course they'd be more polished. I've actually seen this in authors I've been reading a long time, that I enjoy their later stories more. This is why.

So you want to be an author, and don't know where to start? Go online and take some courses. Don't just take one, or only from one person. Take as many as you can. Many are self-guided and short. We all have our own styles, and rules aren't set in stone. Many "rules" are broken by famous authors every book. Still, the rules are useful guidelines as you learn your craft.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Not every book will be something special. Some books are special for a much smaller audience. You can always write another book, or adjust a book you've already written. The more you write, the better you get.

Don't want to be an author, but do want to do something that scares you? Don't know what you're doing and you don't know where to start? Jump in and try it anyway. You'll learn from mistakes and grow as a person. You'll never become a master if you don't begin somewhere.

So, dreamers, get out there and make your dream a reality!