10 Things You Learn Fast As a New Writer

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”

— Stephen King

There’s a lot of commentary in the writing community about what it means to live the writer’s life. It’s a little bit different for everyone, but there are a lot of commonalities that almost all writers can resonate with.

You may never feel like you’ve written enough.

This is one of the hardest ones to grapple with; you always feel like you could do more. Even after you made a big milestone, like reaching a certain point in your book, writing a certain amount of short stories, poems, or articles, there’s always another goal on the horizon. The very nature of creating written content means that you could always create more.

You may never feel like you’ve written enough, but there are ways to deal with this feeling. Don’t let it turn into a bitter sense of underachievement — being a writer means that you’re creating. It’s a lifelong pursuit that doesn’t have a strict time limit.

Writers can, unfortunately, be pretty competitive and cut-throat toward each other.

I’m a big believer in creating more unity in the writing community. Whenever I discover something like an exciting opportunity to submit to big publications, I try to share it with my fellow writers. I want to encourage others to put their best literary foot forward.

As much as I hope that way of thinking will catch on more widely, there’s still a lot of competition in the writing community. It can get a little cut-throat at times when it comes to trying to apply to the same prizes, publishing opportunities, or spots in an MFA program. Regardless, we should all do our best to support each other instead of fighting each other.

Making writer friends is one of the most exciting things in your life.

In line with that competitive edge of the writing community, it can be really tough to find true friends in the writing community. It’s easy to accumulate connections and acquaintances, but deep friendship is hard to find. It probably doesn’t help that a lot of writers are introverts — myself included.

Regardless, when you can meet a writer friend and share your works with each other, it’s delightful. Finding fellow writers who you have common ground with, hopefully, a shared love for the same genres can really transform your writing process and your love of writing and reading.

Good sleep hygiene and routines support the writing process.

And coffee is pretty nice too. Jokes about writers and caffeine are a dime a dozen, but there’s a reason for that. It’s a common stereotype because…well, there are a lot of us who are absolutely hooked on coffee or tea.

For me, it’s both. I have an espresso machine, tons of different beans, an AeroPress, a tea collection that terrifies my friends and takes up half my liquor cabinet, and more tea steepers than any one human really needs. (Except for that rare occasion when I can get five guests to all try teas — then I have a steeper for everyone.) I have so much tea you can barely even call it a liquor cabinet anymore; the tea outnumbers the alcohol astronomically.

Fitness, strangely, does matter for writers.

If you aren’t a gym rat, this thought will probably make you cringe. It never feels like getting out an exercising your body in some capacity could possibly have any impact on your writing.

A few years ago, a team of psychologists did a study on how aerobic exercise impacts creative potential. The results showed that creative potential will be greater on the completion of moderate aerobic exercise. Their study showed that about two hours after working out, participants were at their most creative.

This isn’t a fun writing tip for people who spent most of their lives allergic to gyms (like me), but it’s amazing how establishing healthy habits can make you feel energized and ready to write.

Not every writer is a great public speaker.

“I’m not good in person.

Perhaps this is why I am a writer. Perhaps this is why I don’t have many friends.”

— Rachel Zucker

All writers have weaknesses. Most people out there fear public speaking and many writers are no different. Despite that, as a writer, it’s good to try and flex your muscles and hone this skill. If you publish a book and need to do readings, you want to develop your speaking skills.

A first draft is never a final draft.

When I am “off,” let me tell you, I am off. I was playing a video game with a friend the other night and we were poking fun at the non-playable characters’ silly names. We got confused about a guild leader and decided the one man’s name was too silly for him to be a leader. I jokingly decreed that he wasn’t fit to be a “pubic filter” due to his name. It then took me several seconds of stumbling before I remembered that public figure was the word I was looking for.

This is a silly example, but it’s true for everyone. Just because you’re a writer doesn’t mean that you're spewing poetry 24/7. People who know you’re a writer will often look at you, expecting you to be a walking dictionary or thesaurus even when you’re just trying to relax.

Writing is a skill more than it is a talent.

Saying that someone is talented as a compliment is basically the same thing as going, “wow, you’re amazing, you drew such a lucky hand of cards!”

As a society, we chalk too much up to talent and not enough up to hard-earned skills. No one started out as a brilliant writer with an excellent command of language, plot, and character development — we have all have to write a lot and learn a lot along the way. Writing really is not a talent, it’s a skill.

Getting published as a writer is always pretty darn tough.

If you’re just starting out, you’ve already heard it; the haggard writers who are endlessly querying and praying that next query letter bears fruit.

If you’re a little farther along your journey as a writer, you might already be feeling that strain. It’s certainly easier to land literary journal publications than it is to get a whole book published, but every form of traditional publishing requires humility and tenacity.

Despite the drawbacks, being a writer can be very enriching and fulfilling.

“People who deny the existence of dragons are often eaten by dragons. From within.”

— Ursula K. Le Guin

So acknowledge your dragons and write about them—as a writer, you’re in the perfect position to do just that.

It sounds hard to believe when being a writer is full of rejection and hard work. However, since the path of a writer is not an easy one, that is precisely what makes it enriching and fulfilling. As you improve your craft, you feel accomplished and proud.

As you slowly get your voice out there, whether it’s through social media, blogs, or traditional publishing, it’s rewarding and fulfilling. It takes a long time and a lot of work, but the best things in life aren’t easily won. The writer’s road is not the path of least resistance, but it’s still an incredible journey.