What are the characteristics of a writer?
I write for my blog early in the morning, but I jot down my ideas all the time whenever they come to me. I read a lot about how to write well and now am starting to read novels again. After operating my handmade bags and accessories business for over five years, I am finally able to step aside and pick up my writing where I had left six years ago. When I started my business, writing was and is very much part of process, however it is not the type of writing that I really enjoy. Now after I systemized my business, I have the time to get back to my creative writing.
So, what about you? Are you interested in writing? Do you plan to become a writer? Do you want to make it as a career or just freelancing? If you are reading this, I know you are interested to find out more about being a writer.
How do you know if writing is exactly what you want to do? Being a writer myself, I notice the characteristics that I have and being consistent at that. Here they are:
1. Love to read books – I read a lot on wide range of topics from creative nonfiction, fiction, self-help and how to type books. I also read many books on managing and growing a business. Reading is like food for my brain. I feed it everyday to be able to nurture my ideas and at the end to be able to put them down on paper. However, I am very selective about my reading. I like to read books by authors who’ve lived the experiences they write about in their books. I love books that I can relate myself to, or something I can learn while reading them.
2. Write consistently – I jot down ideas, phrases, quotations, writing in my journal everyday, etc. Now I have my blog, it becomes a stepping stone for me to write more. Writing is a hard work. You need to be consistently writing about what you learn. This is to ensure you’re constantly exercising your writing skill before you take the next step to write your first article or novel.
3. Observant – I do observe my environment when I take a walk or when I am around people all the time. I know this is an unconscious process that helps me to nurture the ideas and inspire me to write.
4. Have plenty of ideas – ideas rush in on me when I plan not to do anything and are just resting. So, I always have a note book and pens around me all the time to keep track of them.
5. Obsessive about writing – I do think that this is also true about a writer who wants to complete their writing task. They will eat, sleep and walk thinking and talking about their writing.
6. Always feel miserable – yes, it is true. It doesn’t mean a writer is a miserable person. It is helpful to be miserable when in the depth of writing. A true writer always feels miserable in order to get the words on paper. This is especially true if you write fiction. As long as you feel the misery, you are able to be so passionate about what you write and it will fuel the writing process faster.
I believe there are many more characteristics than what I have listed above. In order to become a serious writer and accomplish your writing you have to pay attention to the tasks that need to be done as a writer. Otherwise, you just thinking about writing, but you will never able to actually do the writing. This will tell you somehow that writing is not for you.
