Okay, so everybody’s a writer, right?

Everybody able to use a keyboard and type letters into words is a writer, of some sort. Really. I’m not being clever, and there’s no punch line to this. I simply mean exactly what I’ve said there: Everybody able to use a keyboard and type letters into words is a writer, of some sort.

But HERE’S the trick of it all:

What does writing and being a writer mean for you??

You can become as good as you want to be, if you really WANT to be a writer and you’re really willing to work at it.

The work you’ll need to do involves thousands, even millions, of words. And there you have it: If you write enough and work hard enough, you, too, can be Stephen King.

What are you going to write and how are you going to write it?

That’s another issue you have to decide. If you want to write a diary or journal, kept only for yourself or something to pass on one day to your kids, there’s nothing wrong with that. Something that personal and informal is both worthwhile and much easier to do than writing for publication.

If you want to write something that’ll sell, or have a chance of selling, that’s the really hard part.

Either way, you have to learn the basic skills of grammar, spelling, usage, and punctuation. You can find all the information you need to learn the basics in libraries, bookstores, and even on the Internet. You can find a wide range of paid and free classes in writing and fundamental grammar at many high schools, community colleges, and universities.

So, you want to write? Great! Get out there and write. It’s a true learn-as-you-go career. I hope you’ve already started. If not, why not do it now?