Don’t let yourself or others stop you from publicly sharing your thoughts.
You don’t need to write a book to be a writer. You don’t need to be an article author with a major publisher to be a writer. You can start writing now. Here are three ways to be a writer without the heavy lifting:
1. Have an opinion.
Avoid repeating other people’s thoughts. Focus on your personal feelings. Move the conversation forward.
You may be scared to share your feelings publicly, but opening up can be therapeutic. Being vulnerable can help you connect with other people.
2. Flesh out your thoughts.
It’s hard to argue that you are a “writer” if you write only a sentence or a paragraph. Writing is a discipline that is meant to convey critical thinking, and critical thinking usually takes more than a pithy line.
This does not mean you have to write multiple-pages or even 500 words. The number of words should not delineate writers versus non-writers. After you have written something, ask yourself, “Have I sufficiently explained my thoughts?”
3. Post your thoughts on a blog or social media.
You do not have to write a book that only a major publisher would print to be a writer. You do not have to write an article that only a well-known platform will publish to be a writer.
Don’t let gate keepers prevent you from starting to share your thoughts publicly. There are online platforms, whether they are personal websites or web3 platforms, where you can publicly share your thoughts today. Over time, you may develop a voice that is valued by many people and that can pave the way for opportunities with well-known publishing brands.
You don’t need to write hundreds of pages to be a “writer.” You don’t need to have published an article in The New York Times to be a “writer.” If you have a perspective that you can communicate clearly and thoughtfully, you can be a writer and share your thoughts with the world.
What helped you to start being a writer?
