The short answer to the question of how to become a writer is simply to write.

However, it is important to be aware of what to expect in your journey to become a writer.

It is also helpful to reflect on the experience of successful writers.

There are many aspects involved in becoming a writer such as:

• Paying the bills

• Staying away from addictions

• Tending to your loved ones

• Dealing with self-doubts and self-criticism

• Overcoming writers block

• Becoming confident in your writing skills

• Persevering in the craft

• Finishing your first written work

• Persisting in spite of rejection letters

In this article we will focus on the psychological process that begins with an idea for a story and ends with the creation of a writing habit.

Moreover, the inside, psychological, journey to become a writer is about surrendering to our imagination and intuition while at the same time figuring out how to tell the story that we see in our mind using words on paper. 

In other words you need to find out how to translate what you see and experience in your imagination into the real world.

“Writing is not only about telling a story but also about discovering ourselves.”

Steven Pressfield

How to Become a Writer: 4 Steps

Many writers such as Steven Pressfield, Elizabeth Gilbert, Stephen King, Anne Lamott, and Austin Kleon among many others shared a similar process on how they became writers.

1 – The Call

Becoming a writer starts with a call.

For example, writers have an idea for a book, story, or screenplay. They can see the story in their mind and can’t wait to get started.

However, a few hours later doubts creep in.

Writing about that great idea can be scary.

You may wonder if you have the skills, time, and patience to write the book or the story.

The idea keeps coming back to your mind over and over.

You share it with your significant other or a friend. They will encourage you to move forward.

The first step is deciding to work on that great idea you just had.

However, as soon as you start writing, you will stumble upon the second step in your writing journey.

2 – The Resistance

Now you are sitting in front of the computer, ready to get started.

You are full of enthusiasm and start typing away.

But after the initial burst of creative energy, a voice will come into your head.

Who are you to do this? 

You are too old, too young, you have too little or too much education.

This voice is a universal force that you will experience if you want to become a writer.

We all have the same voice in our heads.

Steven Pressfield calls it resistance. It will present in the forms of fear, distraction, temptation, boredom, or avoidance. The purpose of the resistance is to prevent us from writing.

Think about resistance when the voice in your head tells you that you are not good enough or you sense the force of self-sabotage.

At first we think it’s our own thoughts but it’s not.

This force is outside of ourselves. We think that other more talented people don’t have to deal with that.

However, it’s universal and something that everyone experiences and never goes away.

The resistance is between our conscious and unconscious mind.

Moreover, resistance is what our conscious mind experiences when we embark to explore our unconscious mind.

We need to leave our conscious mind and explore the unconscious to access our own writing style.

3 – The Unconscious or the Muse

According to Steven Pressfield, “there is a part of our psyche that leans against Something that’s infinitely greater, wiser, and more powerful, and that that Something is conscious, universal, intelligent, active, collective, and possible infinite.”

Stephen King compares writing a book with an archeologist digging out a fossil. You discover a little more of the story every time you write.

You are in the process of becoming a writer when you are able to cross into the unconscious where you will find your voice, style, and point of view.

The process is not easy. It involves suffering and crises.

As we write, we get to know more about ourselves.

Think about all the times when you sat down to write something and the result was totally different from what you expected. Many times we are surprised by what we wrote.

Writers may not know what they want to express, they have to discover it throughout their journey.

“The Muse tells us who we really are and what our subject really is.” Steven Pressfield

Even if our obsessions remain the same we may look at them and explore them from different points of view or depending on our last life experiences.

The writer has to discover not only the story but also him or herself.

You will find your voice with each project you write.

4 – The Writing Habit

According to Stephen King, “your job is to make sure the muse knows where you’re going to be every day from nine ’till noon, or seven ‘till three. If he does know, I assure you that sooner or later he’ll start showing up.

In addition, Steven Pressfield says “that the mysterious “flow” of creativity can be primed like a pump by physically (and emotionally) planting yourself into the physical space where you want that energy to flow.”

The best way to minimize the resistance and encourage the help of your Muse is to create a writing habit.

This means writing every day at a specific time and place. It does not matter if it is early in the morning, during your lunch break, when the kids are at school, or when everyone else is sleeping. 

Also, show up every day and practice your writing. It is like training your mind to be ready to lower the resistance so that you can transition from your conscious to your unconscious mind.

Once you provide a space and time, you will get more ideas to get to the higher level.

In addition, stay away from distractions.

“None of it will do a damn bit of good if you can’t sit down and open the pipeline to your Muse. The artist’s journey is about that. Nothing else matters. Nothing else counts.” Steven Pressfield

Discover Yourself

As you write and connect to your Muse, you will discover you style, voice, and point of view.

This is an important step on how to become a writer.

You may have to try different styles before you find your own and discover who you are.

If you are struggling with many different ideas, ask yourself, what project terrifies you the most? 

Go and work on it.

Decide when and where you will be writing every day so that your Muse knows where to find you.

This blog post is based on Steven Pressfield’s book, The Artist’s Journey.

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