If you write, you are a writer. You do not need a book deal, a degree, or anyone's permission: the moment you put your first sentence on the page, you have become one. Remind yourself of that every day, because it is the best writing motivation there is.
Writing is your passion. You are dedicated, motivated, and inspired. You love to put letters, words, and sentences on paper. Expressing your opinions clearly and well, or making up scenes, situations, or even whole worlds, is what you live for. When people read your work, you love to hear their feedback, their praise, and their requests for more.
Are you an aspiring writer? Here is some news: you already are one.
How to become a writer
Search the web for "how to become a writer", and you get an endless list of results. The first pages are full of tutorials, tips, and advice. Become a writer with these simple, essential tips. Practice, and do plenty of exercises. You can even pay for a course to fulfill your dream.
What they do not tell you is that becoming a writer takes something else entirely.
Open a blank notebook or a new document on your computer. Pick up a pen, or put your hands on the keyboard. Write your first letter, then a word, then a sentence.
You are a writer.
Wherever you stand in your writing life, this is the one thing you need to realize. By putting words together and making something beautiful out of them (a love letter, a poem, the first page of a novel), you have turned yourself into a writer. Of course, it takes more to become a good or even an excellent writer, or a published, famous, and successful one. But you are a writer all the same.
Remind yourself, daily
Someone may tell you otherwise, and say that putting pen to paper does not make you a writer. Do not listen to them. Telling yourself what you are is a big boost for your motivation, and in turn for your inspiration and creativity. Being at the very beginning of your writing career does not mean that you have to keep your work to yourself until your skills match those of Stephen King or James Patterson.
You are a new writer, but a writer all the same, and the literary world needs you: your articles, your insights, your wit, your ideas, and your own take on stories. Do not hide your work. Share it, accept criticism and feedback, and get better. That is your road to becoming a good writer, then a better one, and then an excellent one.
When your motivation runs low, read how to beat writer's block and motivate yourself to write. And when you are ready to show your work, these tips for sharing your writing for the first time help you take the step.
But it all starts with you: a writer.