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Why Am I A Writer?
Because I’m also a reader
Writing was the one of the first school activities in my childhood that gave me pleasure. It ran alongside reading, both jockeying for poll position. Of course really there is no competition between the two. They are conjoined twins. Always to be together. Always to need each other. You cannot write if you haven’t read. And your writing will go stale if you do not not continue to do so. What you read depends on the writer. But read as widely as possible.
Forget about the courses on craft. Or degrees in creative writing. I’m not saying they are not useful. They can certainly help you to develop. Merely by forcing your bottom to the chair and producing work. Can’t be a bad thing. You may also get to hang out with other writers, either in cyberspace or real-time. Can’t be a bad thing. It helps to encourage and motivate. Swapping critiques of each other’s work can generate new thoughts and ideas and a review of your own craft and techniques. Also a good thing.
All of these are desirable, but none are essential. What is essential is to read. The next best thing for a writer to be doing, when they are not writing, is to be reading. This is the one and only required apprenticeship. Read in order to write.
And then there’s the writing itself. The only other necessary component to the apprenticeship…
