In my early 50's and bored,- how do I learn to write articles, short stories etc?

Question

I need to change my job - I think! I have worked for and cared for people all my working life but I want a new challenge whilst I can still find the energy and the enthusiasm. I have always wanted to write but, hubby, kids, job and now grandchildren have taken up my time. I dont even know if I can write - I suspect if I went on a writers course they would laugh at me - especially when I see some of the articles and poems amateurs do write. However, I love writing and have written articles for my work magazine which they always publish, unedited - so where do I start? I Thanks in advance

Answer 1

First, no one will laugh at you. You would not believe how bad some people write until you workshop with college students.

Second, write! Being published in a magazine is a great start to get yourself an agent once you have a book idea. Though, I am a photojournalist and a fiction writer and I have to tell you the fact they're both written styles isn't enough to link them in any significant way. Non-fiction is a different animal, especially news. It's thought out, facts-upfront sort of stuff. Fiction is subconscious and sensual. It doesn't follow rules of practicality if it's any good.

So if your question is "where do I start," choose a word. Any word. Then another. Then another. You get the idea :).

Good luck!

Answer 2

Get some books on writing and learn the craft as it's practiced by professionals -- which is completely different than most people think. It's not a matter of inventing interesting characters, or even interesting situations. That's the easy part. It's about the plot or storyline -- which is the hard part. I'll bet a thousand people a day start a novel, then abandon it six weeks later, because they have no idea how to plot it.

Classes are good because most of us need assignments to keep us writing and criticism to help us learn to write well. If you can write a few coherent English sentences, you won't be the worst writer in the class. Just do it.

Answer 3

Start by picking up copies of "The Writer" and "Writer's Digest," two magazines for professional and aspiring writers. You'll find lots of practical advice in their pages.

Be sure to read lots of good magazine articles and short stories to steep yourself in the kind of creative work you hope to be doing.

If you live near a university that offers adult education courses, consider signing up for some writing classes. Even if you're not as good now as you hope to be someday, you'll probably be happy with the encouragement and inspiration you'll receive from your teachers and fellow students.

Answer 4

A English comp course would be right up your alley. Contact the nearest college, sign up and start of the road of writing it's the only way to go. In three or four months you'll learn more than you thought possible. They really do have the act of writing down to a science. Good luck.

Answer 5

You learn by continuously trying. Why not just start whenever you feel like you've got something and turn in a portion of your work or the complete work to an editor to see what you need to work on and if what you have could be potentially published.

Take some of what you've written for work and show it to a publisher (if you're that serious about it) or take it to an editor.

You could also post some of your work on a blog or email it to people for their opinion.