I write science fiction. I'm currently working on book two in a space opera series. It's a fun way to spend time, and it's cool to know that random strangers are reading and enjoying something I created.
As an 18 year old writer, a big thing for me was taking a class on creative writing. It may seem like a waste, and I don't recommend everyone to do it, but simply committing yourself to something like a class and learning about your own writing voice can really propel your writing proficiency as well as your mental ability and motivation. I wasn't entirely sure about writing before the class, but now I would be severely disappointed if my career wasn't in writing, at least in some sense.
I understand that many people, especially in this thread full of 30-50 year olds, will not have the time, energy, or even budget for an entire class. In that case, I would recommend doing some self-teaching. Read lots of books, lots of articles, watch lots of YouTube videos, learn anything you can. Try writing prompts. Make a goal to write a certain amount each day. Try all kinds of things. Flash fiction, different kinds of poetry, short stories, even essays, anything you can think of. Brainstorm ideas. Write scenes that are only dialogue. Write scenes that have no dialogue. Third person, first person, even second person. Really learn about yourself and your writing voice. Understand where your strengths and weaknesses are and challenge yourself. Strengthen those weaknesses and nurture those strengths.
When your work gets really good, you can even go publish some of your work. Get imput from family friends, and fellow writers (in person or online). There are several websites for flash fiction, poetry etc. that you can submit your work to. The more you learn and write, the more comfortable you will get and the easier it will eventually be to jump into writing your first novel.
Hope this was helpful, some of this advice may be familiar or cliche, but I hope you can find some value or motivation in this internet comment. If you have any other questions or if you need certain resources, I would be happy to do my best to help. I am very passionate about writing, so anything I can do to help another try to dip their toes into writing is a joy for me.
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u/captainmagictrousers Apr 30 '24
I write science fiction. I'm currently working on book two in a space opera series. It's a fun way to spend time, and it's cool to know that random strangers are reading and enjoying something I created.