how to become a columnist

a writer working at a desk

If you're passionate about the written word—or rather, crafting it—a writing position might be the job for you. Writers work in various industries and in varying capacities. While some might write literary fiction, others might write articles for their local newspaper or write television and movie scripts. Because of the substantial variety of specialties it encompasses, writing is a great field for creative individuals who want to turn their hobby into a career.

In this article, we explain what exactly a professional writer does and outline the steps to become one, plus provide examples of common writing jobs and career outlook.

What do writers do?

Writers are professionals who produce various forms of written or literary content, such as novels, articles and poetry. They string together words in their audience's language and often tell a story of some sort.

To create a piece, many writers spend time researching and editing their work until they feel it's complete. Writing is a diverse and creative field tailored to those who enjoy expressing themselves using the written word. Writers seek to entertain and educate their audiences.

Related: 10 Jobs That Require Creative Thinking Skills

How to become a writer

Although you could say that to become a writer you just need to write, there are several steps you should consider if you want to effectively pursue this career path and its specific roles. For example, if you want to become a screenwriter or work in academia, you might need a degree that reflects your expertise in those particular areas.

Here are seven steps to follow if you want to become a writer:

Find inspiration
Consider the type of writing you're interested in
Read more
Seek higher education
Keep a blog or journal
Start writing
Share your work

1. Find inspiration

To become a successful writer, you must have a steady flow of inspiration—especially if you want to be a creative writer. Your writing should come from what you are most passionate about. The more inspired you are, the more people will enjoy reading what you write. Spending more time outdoors or doing a hobby you enjoy could provide you with the inspiration you need to start your writing career.

Related: How To Become a Creative Writer in 9 Steps

2. Consider the type of writing you're interested in

Because writing is such a broad industry, it's important to narrow down what exactly you want to write. As a writer, you could write novels, news articles, blog posts, children's books, grants and more. Once you know exactly what you'd like to write, you'll be able to better focus on honing skills in that specific subcategory.

Related: Learn About Being a Grant Writer

3. Read more

If your goal is to become a good writer, you should also be a good reader. To understand what you want to write, it's important to consider what you like or don't like reading. In other words, take note of what genres or styles you're drawn to. Consider spending more time reading to sharpen your cognitive thinking skills, as well.

By reading as much as possible, you'll begin to subconsciously include new concepts or writing tactics you've absorbed into your own writing. The more you read, the better your own writing will get and the more distinct your voice will become. Visit your local library or bookstore, or ask your family and friends for book recommendations if you want to go outside your reading comfort zone.

Related: 14 Tips for Becoming a Better Writer

4. Seek higher education

Depending on the writing position you're targeting, you might consider pursuing a college degree. Many writers have bachelor's degrees in English or journalism. If you're hoping to become a content writer or novelist, consider majoring in English, which will provide you with the fundamentals you need to teach other writers or even create the next literary classic.

If you're interested in becoming a reporter or public relations specialist, a journalism degree will teach you a wide variety of journalism skills, such as how to investigate, research and report. Be sure to select a degree that correlates well with the writing career path you want to pursue.

Related: How To Become a Writer Without a Degree

5. Keep a blog or journal

Keeping a regular blog or journal can provide you with endless inspiration while also helping you practice your writing skills. Whether you're blogging about your everyday life, jotting down small notes of inspiration to remember for later or journaling about your hopes and dreams, practicing your writing is essential.

You could also blog about a specific subject that interests you if you hope to pursue writing in a certain industry or want to combine your writing with a hobby you enjoy. For example, if you like to cook, you could start a cooking blog to share fun recipes and how you came up with them.

Read more: How To Write a Blog Post (Plus Template and Example)

6. Start writing

While you've probably been writing for a long time, this is the point when you should take what you've learned and use it to craft your literary project. The most important step of all is to just start writing. The more time you spend practicing and honing your craft, the more successful you'll be as a writer.

Related: The Writing Process: Over 45 Tips on Writing

7. Share your work

Once you feel confident in your writing abilities and your literary project, consider sharing your work with friends or other writing professionals. Having someone look over your work and provide you with advice can not only improve your writing, it can also teach you how to become better at accepting criticism. Once you know how to improve, you can use the advice you've received to create an even greater work of literary art in the future.

Related: Understanding Constructive Criticism: Definition, Tips and Examples

Common writing jobs

If you're hoping to pursue a career as a writer, consider these five common writing jobs below. For the most up-to-date salary information from Indeed, visit indeed.com/salaries.

1. Columnist

National average salary: $13.81 per hour

Primary duties: Columnists are responsible for writing opinion articles for websites or newspapers. Their columns are based on various topics, and it's a columnist's job to share their viewpoint and opinions with their readers. Some topics they write about include politics, fashion and personal advice.

Related: 14 Jobs You Can Get at a Newspaper (Plus Tips for Pursuing Them)

2. News reporter

National average salary: $14.09 per hour

Primary duties: News reporters and journalists spend their days—and sometimes nights—investigating, researching and writing various factual articles for the news. While some write articles for print publications or websites, others create radio or TV broadcasts for news consumption.

Read more: Learn About Being a Journalist

3. Novelist

National average salary: $17.97 per hour

Primary duties: Novelists write various works of fiction or nonfiction such as novels or biographies. Depending on what genre you choose for your book, you might spend time researching and studying a variety of subjects that interest you to come up with unique and well-thought-out ideas. Novelists must also meet with various editors to help them finalize their books.

Read more: How To Become a Novelist

4. Copywriter

National average salary: $23.23 per hour

Primary duties: Copywriters are responsible for writing content for various media. This can include promotional material, such as advertising content, or educational material for websites and businesses. Copywriters make sure the content—or copy—they're creating is engaging to their various audiences.

Related: Copywriting vs. Content Writing: What's the Difference?

5. Technical writer

National average salary: $33.80 per hour

Primary duties: Technical writers are tasked with preparing, analyzing and revising various technical documents. It's their responsibility to fulfill the needs of end-users with their technical writing skills. For example, technical writers create various materials such as instruction manuals and how-to guides to help readers grasp a concept or topic more easily.

Related: Learn About Being a Technical Writer

Job outlook for writers

The job outlook for writers is dependent on their specialty. For example, jobs for writers and authors are expected to grow 9%—about as fast as average for all other occupations—between 2020 and 2030, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs for technical writers, meanwhile, are expected to grow 12%, or faster than average, over the decade.