A Reader Becomes a Writer.

Many fiction writers begin as passionate readers of a specific genre of fiction. A dedicated genre reader will acquire and develop a taste for a certain style of writing. The tempo in a well-crafted story will pique their interest, and compel them to turn the next page. A spark can be lit in such a reader when he or she (they) realize that they know what they want. The avid reader who knows that will embark on a campaign to experience the craft of every writer who might satisfy their discerning taste for a story, well told. Sometimes, when a sophisticated reader examines the writer’s biography, they get the thought: I could do this! Writers are everyday people.

Why Does Someone Become a Fiction Writer?

Many readers take a chance at writing for the wrong reason. Fiction Writers are portrayed as mysterious and reclusive people who have found a way to step out of an average life to enjoy quick fame and fast fortune. A reader who reads to have a means to escape a dull world is most susceptible to the allure of turning to writing in order to complete their own escape. However, successful fiction writers are disciplined in their craft. They know for whom they write, and they spend much energy trying to reach a particular class of reader, just as the dedicated reader seeks the craft of a particular genre of writer. So, there it is. A fervent reader who knows what they want to read also has the ability to recognize a well-written story. They might become a fiction writer in order to advance the art, because they can.

Discipline and Perseverance.

The reader who will select, purchase, and read a fiction novel every week has discipline. That reader views a novel as a deserved treat to be savored. They find the time to read, and will read faster if they must, in order to experience the jolt of a plot twist, to imagine the panoramic view of a wondrous setting, or to mentally smell the fragrance of the most discerning perfume. A dedicated reader will adopt a character as a member of their family, and they will weep when that character suffers the sting of a heartbreak, and doubly so if the character was innocent and unaware that it might happen.

Do it.

Writers do not dash off a front line novel on the back of a napkin, and give that to a grateful publisher. Publishers do not have editors who will publish unrefined work without editing it first. Veteran writers develop a routine as they learn what works for them. Then, they repeat that routine. Nearly every writer appreciates the power of review and revision. Develop a plot. Create a main character, the protagonist. Place that character in a descriptive setting. Plant an adversary, an antagonist who will do everything possible, and many things impossible, to stop the protagonist from completing the story that contains the plot. Write when your mind is sharp. Create the story as fast as your fingers can fly! Be disciplined. Try to write a manageable number of pages a day, and stay true to the plot. Then, at a quiet time, when you can be critical of your work, review what you wrote, and revise it. This is how a writer begins a novel and completes it hundreds of pages later. This is also how a dedicated reader can begin to become a fiction writer.