I want to write (professionally)!!! Where do you even start?

[logh]

My only long-term goal that has withstood the test of time has been to write. From when I was about 5, all I wanted was to be an author. I'm mid 20s now and that's still the thing rooted in my dreams.

I regret not getting further qualifications in English. And I've veered away from writing professionally, I think it just almost felt unattainable once I reached adulthood and almost felt like a childhood dream.

I want to get back on it now.
I have always wrote stories for fun, including in adulthood.
But I'd love to move into writing professionally now.

Any content writers out there?
Any advice for getting into it?

I'm completely starting from scratch.

God, 100% this. I worked as a content writer for various companies from 2012 onwards. It went from very full on to practically nothing. Around 2022 I stopped even trying to get work content writing and went in another direction.

If you want to publish a novel however, that could be something interesting to work on.

I have ideas of novels that I'd love to write.

Then start writing them! Get a notebook and pen - or some scrap paper and a pencil - and start now, this minute!

The only way to be a writer, is to write. You can read all the 'How To' books and websites and so on, but different things work for different writers, and the only way to find out what works for you, is to do it. You'll probably have some false starts, get stuck, find that you'd really rather write romcom than gritty thrillers (or vice versa) but the only way to know, and to learn about plotting and pacing and 'show don't tell' and all the rest of it, is to get on and do it.

(I am self-published on Kindle, I have done quite well in the past, not so much recently, but partly because I'm not as productive as other authors.)

Well you have to start by doing it! You can't get a job writing professionally unless you are practising writing to a professional standard.

I'd start by writing what you love and reading what you love. A daily habit or reading and writing is your best entry. Read up on grammar too (there are really basic mistakes in some of your posts - no big deal - my posts are full of typos and I'm a copywriter just a lazy typist in my spare time! But you need to know the difference between accurate SPAG and casual incorrect usage so you can choose the effect you are after.)

Then, as PP say, if you like writing articles, start a substack. If you like writing novels, put one up on Kindle POD. Submit work to small literary journals. Google awards and submissions on a regular basis and keep a record of any deadlines you want to aim for.

It's good that you want to do it for love and for fun. The average earnings of UK novelists last year was 7k!

I'm a content writer (not my actual job title). I work for the civil service. I got into it by working first in internal comms in local authorities. I also did web editing a long time ago, became an intranet and then web manager - so sort of IT.

I really enjoy writing and editing but it's not that creative. I often work with lawyers and spend days discussing individual words.

@Bristoluser Any chance you could pm me what your job actually is? I enjoy writing but not as a creative outlet, rather just because I enjoy words, and days discussing individual words with lawyers appeals to me 😁