How can I become a [published] writer?

Maybe it’s because of the end of summer, fall easing up like a familiar friend.

But in the last two weeks, I’ve gotten about six or seven emails asking me how you can become a writer.

I can’t get around to answering all the email—most people can’t. And there really isn’t a quick answer to the question.

I think you just write down what you think about and all else follows. A popular buzz phrase right now is “I write because I can’t not write.” Or something like that.

But what I’m getting at is I never thought about how to become a writer. I just wrote.

Curiosity helped in the publishing endeavors. I learned to study publishers and magazines—almost all of them have Net sites now. And I joined several networks after looking at organizations—all of them have Net sites. I dug up what I needed to know simply because I focused on learning about the business of writing and also on the process of writing.

In between, I read and still do read tons of books.

What’s important is the journey each writer follows in determining his or her true passion. And I don’t think you can be a writer unless you follow the path solo.

So there you go. It sounds deceptively easy.

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Enter Poetry Spotlight III at The Writer online. Poets Dana Wildsmith and Dr. Carl Horner will join me in critiquing winning poems. Deadline is September 15.

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To the Georgia bookstore owner who featured my memoir Killing Earl in a special display I wish I knew the name of your store so I could thank you properly. A reader let us know about the display, but she didn’t share the name of the store.