What Does It Take To Be A Writer?

Editorials News | Aug-16-2019

What Does It Take To Be A Writer?

We all read novels and then there are people who write. Famous novelist like, Danielle Steel, Sidney Sheldon, JK Rowling, Chetan Bhagat, Amish Tripathy and many more. What does it take to be a writer? Well they say there are two rules to be a writer and the very first rule is that "there are no rules"!! The second rule is just because the first rule says there isn't any rule it does not really mean that you can do anything you want to do. Creative writing like arts and music does not give you any kind of set rules as to how one can approach his/her work. However, one needs to have an understanding of the subject, which is very important if one wants to write something that has a logical narrative, makes sense and keeps the reader engrossed.
Different writers have different ways of dedicating their time towards writing. Famous novelist Danielle Steel seems to be one who works the hardest. In an interview when asked how she manages on work-life balance she surprised the audience with her reply. Danielle Steel regularly writes for 20 to 22 hours a day and at times she is writing throughout the day. No wonder she has managed to pen 179 books in 50 years and her books have sold about 800m copies. Writing definitely is a demanding job.
Writer Edgar Wallace, who could write a novel over the course of a long weekend, would retire to his study on Friday and emerge from his study only on Monday morning. However, he wasn't alone he would dictate his words to his secretary while stopping for half hourly cups of tea. Wonder what the secretary had to say about this!!
There is no written formula for writing a novel. Some take years to finish their work. Though people do undergo creative writing courses but at the end of the day, a lot goes into writing a novel, which is interesting and engrossing. Sometimes the chain of thoughts might not be cohesive, the characters might need changes or at times the whole chapter may need to be rewritten.
So how does one really become a write, or what does it take to be a writer? There are three important things: Passion, Practice and Study.
First and foremost one needs to have the passion for writing. The zest, gusto and also a vivid imagination. Not all have the power of imagination. Secondly one needs to put all the thoughts and ideas into a framework to make for an engrossing and cohesive piece of work. Practice is definitely the key. To be a successful writer one needs to write at least a thousand words a day. Every profession has a certain number of hours that one needs to put into it in order to become proficient, and the same applies to writing as well. Lastly one needs to read a lot. Reading different authors will make one notice how the authors do their thing. One needs to be curious, need to investigate. The more one reads the more creative the though process becomes, added to that is practice. It is not necessary to sit and try finishing it at one shot; it always does not work that way. However, one should make it a point to write, even if it is in between other things.
Practice is also one of the most important key. No wonder they say practice makes perfect. One needs to work at his/her technique at every level. Using the right vocabulary, creating characters that are believable, can make or break a story. One has to work on creating the drama, scenes that are dynamic and dialogues that sound authentic. One needs to touch all the human emotions, sadness, fear, love and write like it is happening right here right now. A writer needs to become a part of the story in order to make it come to life. One need to write like its his/her own story.
By: Madhuchanda Saxena
Content: https://theconversation.com/how-to-write-a-novel-four-fiction-writers-on-danielle-steels-insane-working-day-117155


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