Q = Qualifications
What does it take to become a writer?
I wanted to be a novelist. That was the dream. I wanted to take the things that I could imagine, write them down, sell them to people who would appreciate them. I wanted to be a published author.
I went to school for it and everything. I really do feel that my writing improved with my education, I’m not saying it didn’t. But the dream never came true… And now I work in manufacturing and write novels at night that will probably never see the light of day. Hindsight being everything, I should have gone to school for accounting.
But there are a lot of successful authors out there who never went to college. It didn’t hurt them. The lack of education doesn’t negate raw talent. They had the vision, the skill, and the dedication it took to write down their ideas and get them to the finish line. Maybe it’s simply those three traits that qualify a writer.
I can’t look at any one novelist and compare them to the next. I can’t find a common life thread that unlocked the door to their successes. Some went to school, others did not. Some joined the military, others did not. This one had a life altering epiphany, that one just liked to make things up and put it on paper.
You don’t have to meet a specific set of criteria to become an author. You just have to be good. Which maybe I’m not.
But surely there must be qualifications for reviewing books?
As previously stated, I went to school for writing. On top of my many writing classes, I took many literature courses including Ancient, Classic, and Children's, where I learned how to think about fiction critically. The dream may have been novelist, but here I am writing this blog about what separates a book from a 5 star review and a 1 star, instead of winning a Pulitzer Prize.
The truth is, despite what I studied in my younger years, I'm probably not at all qualified to be taking apart other people’s work. It isn't like I graduated summa cum laude. I don’t know if I could do it professionally, it’s not a career path I have considered. I don’t think I’d enjoy reading as much if I had deadlines to meet. This is a hobby that sucks up time that should be spent adulting. But we all need a hobby and this is one of mine.
Much like having an opinion, we are all doing something for which we are either unqualified or overqualified to be doing... We all have a hobby. Whether it's writing blogs or novels or reading either of the two. Whether you're a fashion guru or poet or amateur sleuth we've all got a thing. That thing that sucks up time.
What is your thing? Are you 'qualified' for it, or do you just enjoy it?
I’m good at puzzles and board games…
ReplyDeleteits good to be good at puzzles! i think it's a life skill. it requires attention to detail and the ability to overcome obstacles.
DeleteI think being a successful novelist is like many of the other arts. There are many talented, hardworking people out there, but only a few get the luck to be able to make a living at what they enjoy doing.
ReplyDeletethats probably a true fact.
DeleteI don't think school necessarily is required to be a good writer. The mechanics (e.g., grammar, sentence, etc.) certainly, but creativity? No. I believe good writers just have a talent and school may be a waste of their time. My favorite author is Stephen King, for instance. I don't think he went to a specific school FOR writing. I know that his style is criticized (not what a Creative Writing professor would prefer), but I like it. Practice at writing, though. That, I think, is important. It's keeps your literary skills sharp. Part of the reason I blog IS to practice writing. That, hopefully, translates to my books.
ReplyDeleteNOTE: Mind you, none of my books are bestsellers. Probably should practice more.
Schools not a requirement for writing to be sure. i mostly write sci-fi (in my spare time)
DeleteJamie (jannghi.blogspot.com): I write a memoir and a kids books several years ago. I sent one or both out before the pandemic hit and received a rejection email one one. I have't tried lately. I keep meaning to get back to it, I just haven't.
ReplyDeleteWhen you do you do, and if you don't there might be something out there to do that you like better.
DeleteI wanted to have novels out there, too. And I haven't worked on fiction writing in a few years. The stories are there. Maybe one day I'll get back to writing them out.
ReplyDeletei still write on occasion. my current WIP is something i'd like to send out to try and get published if i ever finish it.
DeleteI'm not sure I have a thing! I enjoy writing poetry, and one of my blogs is poetry, and I have taken poetry course in college, so maybe that qualifies me. Being qualified doesn't necessarily mean good in this kind of case, not like being trained to... say, code or repair an auto! I have been included in several anthologies, but I still don't think that's my thing.
ReplyDeleteif you've been included in anthologies my guess is you are better than you give yourself credit for. but its always good to have something you enjoy doing regardless of whether or not you've been 'trained' for it. what's life without happiness?
DeleteI like gardening. I used to be good at it, but now I seem to think that every plant is dehydrated and in desperate need of water. Dahlias are not safe in my backyard. (I did manage not to drown all of them last summer, so there may be hope for me.)
ReplyDeleteI'm a writer, too. Sometimes I am good at it, sometimes not. I have not had a novel published, but i am still a writer. I used to not call myself that, but then I realized when someone paints (or gardens!) there is no demand that they have sold something to earn the title "artist" (or "gardener"). So, yeah, I'm a writer.
thats a good way to look at artistries. I like to garden too, but i concentrate on poisonous plants now, because rabbits quickly became my enemy, lol. most of the stuff i plant they won't go near.
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