What Does It Take to Become an Author? – Part One – You Need a Talent!
Becoming an author is very easy, yet it is very difficult. It is very easy to sit down and write but if you want to make a living out of writing, then it takes more than just the desire to write. In theory, everybody could become an author, if he or she wishes to but in practice many people give up the idea of becoming an author because they either have better alternatives, or simply feel they lack what it takes to become an author.
‘t a universal list of qualities you need to have in order to become an author. Different sources will list different qualities and nobody can say what is wrong and what is right. However, in my opinion, here are some vital factors you need to have in order to become a writer:
Do You Know Where Your Talents Are?
Writing is an art and as any art, talent is the make or break factor. Talent for writing is a gift and you either have it, or you don’t. There is nothing wrong if you don’t have talent for writing – not everybody must have it and the fact that you might have many talents but writing is not among them is not something to worry about.
If you don’t have a talent for writing but you have a talent for acting, public speaking, painting, even cooking, there is no drama in this. Just make up your mind that a writing career is not your best option and pursue a career in a field where you are more confident. Many top authors don’t have a talent for acting, or public speaking, so it is just normal that one can’t have talents for everything.
In fact, you can become an author, even if you don’t have the talent for writing but the experience will be pretty painful. You can invest effort, time and money in your obsession to become an author, you can even publish a couple of books, but you will still feel out of place.
If you have a talent for something else, it is pointless to be stubborn and pursue a writing career just for the sake of it. Concentrate your efforts on a thing you are better at and this is the best for everybody.
I had a classmate of mine, who was really exceptional. Her father was a movie director and her mother was also in the movie business. Naturally, the girl had talents for acting and directing, but she could also sing and dance really well, play the piano and the guitar and on top of this, she was a brilliant painter. It might feel unfair that one single person has so many talents but she isn’t an exception.
She could write, too, but she wasn’t the most outstanding writer you can find. Besides, for her writing wasn’t as enjoyable as singing and dancing and she didn’t want to write, unless she had to. At maths and science she was really a disaster. Our teachers wondered how could somebody, who is so intelligent, be such a failure in maths and science.
The explanation was simple – maths and science wasn’t her cup of tea and no matter how hard she tried (or more precisely, her parents made her try), the result was she could barely pass the tests in maths, physics, and chemistry. You see, even people with multiple talents aren’t geniuses in everything. And this is pretty normal.
So, if you don’t feel that you are born to be an author, it might be wiser not to pursue a writing career at any cost. Just direct your efforts elsewhere and you will be happier. But if you have a talent for writing, don’t let it go to waste!
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Tags: become an author, talent, Writing, writing career
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