10 Signs You’ve Upgraded To Being A Serious Writer - By K.M. Allan

Of course, you’re a writer if you write. The act of putting words down on paper to create a story is the very definition of being a wordsmith, but what takes you from wannabe writer to writer, and then upgrades you to a serious writer?

Spoiler alert, actually writing is only a small part of it.

10 Signs You’ve Upgraded To Being A Serious Writer

1. You’re not afraid to show others what you’ve written.

2. Receiving rejections from agents and publishers no longer stings (as much).

3. Sending a query or submission doesn’t fill you with (complete) fear.

4. You’re happy to pass on the advice that you’ve learned to other writers.

5. You’re writing daily or regularly enough that actual pages are being added to your MS.

6. Ideas for stories come thick and fast. Your creative brain is always on.

7. You’ve started a social media account or a blog dedicated to just your writing.

8. Walks and commutes to work are soundtracked to writing podcasts instead of music.

9. Your TBR pile now includes non-fiction books about editing or the craft of writing.

10. You have money put away for writing courses and/or professional edits.

A writer might start off their journey as a wannabe, daydreaming about ideas or noting down a few lines of purple prose every now and then. One day, they might decide to give writing a "real go" and get as far as a terrible first draft that languishes in a drawer. It might be years later still before they learn more, practice more, and apply those skills to the next manuscript, the next draft, the complete rewrite, and the endless edits before finally typing, “The End”.

If they're consistent and work hard, they may even get to write “The End” on multiple manuscripts, but being a serious writer isn’t about completing as many WIPs as you can, it’s about what you do with those pages of gold afterward.

No true wordsmith wants to spend all that time writing a book that no one else will ever read. Give your MS to family, friends and beta readers. Submit to publishers. Enter writing competitions. Launch a blog. Start your own writing podcast. You might not see all the signs in yourself yet, but even if you can only cross off one or two on the list above, you're well on your way.

Be a wannabe until you're a writer, but then don’t forget to upgrade to being a serious writer and do something with what you’ve written.

— K.M. Allan

K.M. Allan is an identical twin, but not the evil one. When she’s not writing, she likes to read, binge-watch too much TV, and take more photos than she will ever humanly need. Visit her blog at kmallan.com to discover the secrets of the universe, or at the very least, some good writing tips.

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