The better question to ask is, do people listen to you when you tell a joke or a funny story? You know the answer. You can learn to write. Editors can fix grammar, but can you create a work of fiction that people will want to read?

Many people want to be something because they believe it will bring them status, wealth, or fame at some level. Most writers you know are rich and famous; that’s why you know them, but the other 99.99% of us are not.

If you want to be a writer because you believe the late-night talk show circuit has a spot waiting for you to talk about your latest novel, think again. To be brutally frank, writing is more akin to solitary confinement than glittering lights and fame; Oprah won’t be calling you.

You must be honest with the person staring back at you in the mirror. Do you enjoy hours of living inside your head? Are you prepared for no one you know having the slightest interest in the book you spent countless hours perfecting? Are you ready to accept the fact that although you have strived to create your best work, nobody out there will notice or care? If nothing I’ve said so far deters you, you may be a writer.

 

How I Got There

I never thought about writing novels until I was past fifty. I’ve worked as an engineer, a programmer, and an economics teacher, and if you said one day I would have over a dozen published novels, I would have laughed out loud. I did not see myself as a novelist. Those are people who teach English, wear smoking jackets, and quote Shakespeare.

Then one day, inspiration hit me, and I began writing a nonfiction book to explain basic economics to ordinary people. The first chapter was about how the lottery targeted the poor, and the real winners were the people collecting the money. The writing was as uninteresting as one of my economics lectures. In fact, it was an economics lecture delivered as a manuscript.

Then I read something that changed everything. I believe the greatest comment ever said about writing was by Mark Twain: ‘Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.’ A strong narrative (a good story) holds the reader’s attention. The plain truth is boring, and no one wants to read boring. I believe Twain may have described what many call journalism. He was not a fan of the media. He said, ‘If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed. If you do, you’re misinformed.’

 

Good Storytelling Matters

Why does the narrative hold a reader’s attention? It could be in our genes. Countless generations of people have passed on wisdom through storytelling. Those that paid attention learned the lessons and probably had a slightly higher survival rate than those that didn’t. The more outrageous the story, the easier it is remembered.

I changed direction to write a purely fictitious story about a lottery corruption scandal, which turned into an eight-book series on organized crime and corruption. That’s when I knew I was a writer and, more specifically, a novelist. When you wake up in the morning, what is the first thought on your mind? If it’s your current book project or daily blog post, you may be a writer.

 

Why Do You Want to Write?

When you are writing, are you consistently hindered by what others may think? Do you write to appeal to the masses? I believe that’s a big mistake and a sellout. You’re not writing your thoughts but what you imagine others want to hear. If you’re not strong-minded enough to venture into uncharted territory and ruffle a few feathers, then do something else. Opinions draw criticism. The flak is more intense the closer you are to the target. I don’t write for people holding advanced degrees in English literature. Almost none of them have published anything. I also don’t care what the biomedical scientist thinks of my slight bending of their reality. I’ll stick with Twain’s opinion over theirs after all; it’s pure fiction. Ask yourself, is it a good story? Is it entertaining? Is it fun to read?

 

Writer’s Block

Einstein said, ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge. Imagination is the language of the soul.’ Writer’s block has one specific cause, lack of imagination. Do you seriously struggle with this? If you can’t write, you can’t be a writer. My problem is I have too many ideas. I start typing the second I sit down, and it never stops. I’m only concerned that it makes sense to someone not living in my head.

I didn’t know this phenomenon existed until I attended a writer’s workshop and heard the other participants discussing it. I caused several eyes to roll when I said I had never experienced it. As I got to know the people in the class, I began to see a pattern. All of them lacked imagination, and there is no way to teach it. Be honest with yourself. Writer’s block is an obvious red flag that you are not a writer. Trying to be something you’re not will be a frustrating waste of time.

 

Are You a Creator?

You may have read many books and thought, ‘This is really crap. I can do so much better. I should write a book.’ The problem is, it’s easier to be a critic than a creator. I have a joke that the only writing I hate more than my own is everyone else’s. It’s a joke, but the underlying truth is writing a 60-thousand-word book isn’t a walk in the park. Editors don’t catch all the mistakes. Most stories are not compelling. A lot of books are not that good.

Writing a page-turner is only something a few can do out of the box. You can get there in time, but how much time do you have? If this is a natural thing for you, you may be a writer.

 

All Bark and No Bite

Do you talk about writing more than you write, or are you too busy writing to think about it? I spent almost no time studying the art and science of writing before I wrote my first novel. I had no formal knowledge of what I was doing, except I knew it needed to be a good story and the grammar needed to be correct. Afterward, I read a few things on writing and realized that I was already mindful of the elements of good writing because it made sense to write a book a certain way. It’s not brain surgery, and if it comes naturally for you, you’re off and running. You may be a writer.

I joined a writing group that met at a local library, where I sought other writers to share resources. I could offer developmental editing, and I was sure there would be someone who needed help with a novel. In exchange, they could be a pre-release reader for me. I was disappointed. What I found was a group of people who got together to talk about writing. The lesson learned is writing is a solitary venture. Anyone who would join a writing group is only there for social interaction. Don’t waste your time.

 

Work Ethic

Do you feel compelled, even obsessed, with finishing a project? The closer I get to the end of a book, the more hours I write. I’ve likened it to the last mile of a marathon. You can see the finish line and start to push harder. When I type the last word, the feeling is euphoric. I recently completed a 152 thousand-word science fiction novel. That’s a long book for me, but the story kept going, and I ran with it as long as it had legs. The point is, I stuck with it for six weeks straight, seven days a week, burying myself in the story. It takes that level of perseverance to be a writer. If that sounds like an awesome way to spend six weeks of your life, you could be a writer.

 

How Thick is Your Skin?

Can you take someone calling your baby ugly with a professional attitude? Maybe your baby is ugly. Are you open to that possibility? What’s more important than your ego is producing a good book. Your name is on the cover. Do you want it to suck? The best feedback I get from my editor is that a passage doesn’t make sense. I don’t care about the grammar as much; that’s my editor’s job. I care about the story, and I want it right.

I once performed a major edit of a book to replace the male lead with a female based on an editor’s comment that a female lead would work better. It set us back a month on the release, but so what. After the changes, I agreed that the female lead made the story more riveting. If you want to make the best book possible and are willing to take criticism as part of the process, you may be a writer.

 

Final Thoughts

Be honest with yourself and stay true to your natural talents. I have a close relative who began painting at a late stage in life. She never knew she had the talent until she tried. You could be the next Hemingway, but only if you take a chance.