There is a misconception among two groups of people – those who don’t write and new writers – that you have to be an expert to write a book. To them, an expert can look like:
- Someone with a degree (for fictional writers, their degree is expected to be related to writing)
- Someone with extensive personal experience in a field
- Someone in a leadership role
But the truth is, you don’t need to be an expert. And you definitely don’t need to work full-time in a literary field. These are false impressions of what it means to be an author created by a lack of understanding, anxiety, and self-doubt, which ultimately stop would-be writers from putting pen to paper.
There have been many authors who did not have a degree, who worked in a different industry, or who were newbies at their craft. Think of Stephen King, well-known for his horror novels – he worked two jobs while writing Carrie. Or Maya Angelou, who was recognized for many forms of art – she never went to college. Jody Hedlund, a historical fiction author, writes between homeschooling her five children. Not only that but there are a number of popular books that were debut novels, like Joseph Heller’s Catch-22.
Anyone can become a writer. Coaches, teachers, doctors, stay-at-home parents – even retired elderly or teenagers just beginning to explore the wider world. Each unique perspective and experience only serves to enrich the stories a writer creates.
Extensive professional knowledge would be helpful, of course. But it’s not necessary. Consider a creative writing degree: through one, you would learn about specific aspects of writing such as style, voice, and genre by deliberate exposure to classical and contemporary authors and you would become better at writing due to extensive practice and immovable deadlines. But you could get the same experience on your own by reading the same books, discussing them with friends or in a book club, and setting up regular writing tasks for yourself.
All you need to be a writer is the passion to learn, the determination to follow through, quality experience, and the courage to put your story out into the world.
Let’s break these down.
Ability to learn
Many aspiring writers believe a college degree is a necessary step in the writing journey. It’s not. A degree is useful, but this is because a degree teaches an important life skill: how to learn. The ability to learn is a muscle. A degree gives discipline and practice to grow that muscle so that people can apply it to their experiences in the outside world.
If you look at well-known authors, you’ll find that some of them didn’t have a degree at all. Many of them who did have degrees studied fields unrelated to creative writing, journalism, English, or literature – studies that would-be writers think of first. For example, Arthur Conan Doyle studied medicine, Michael Crichton studied biological anthropology, and Robert Ludlum studied drama. With all that experience in learning, they knew what steps to take to learn how to write a novel by the time they realized they wanted to write one.
Being able to learn means that you can go out there and find your own resources. Not everyone can do that. But the important thing is learning from those resources, then applying what you learn. This ties into the ability to follow through. A book isn’t a book until it’s complete. Some writers never learn how to follow through to completion and end up with a graveyard of first chapters or unfinished projects.
If you are interested in the knowledge gained from a creative writing degree, you create your own curriculum following the similar steps: Follow writing exercises regularly. Stick to the deadlines you set. Read classic literature, then discuss them with peers you find outside of a classroom.
Quality experience
Writing a novel isn’t just about putting words on a page; it’s about understanding how those words work together to create a compelling story. The only way to gain that understanding is through deliberate exposure to quality material. Reading is key for that.
Read everything you can find. If you read something bad, ask yourself what went wrong. If it was good, find out how you can emulate the quality. But especially read famous novels and those considered the best of their genre. If you do best with support, join or start a book club to have deeper conversations about each book.
By reading widely and critically, you can learn how different elements of writing—like theme, tone, syntax, and structure—affect readers. Not only that, but you expand your vocabulary and understanding of voice, which will ultimately help you adopt your own writing style. Every word you read, no matter how bad or good, will seep into your unconsciousness to make your writing stronger.
The best way to master what you’re learning is to write regularly. You have to do the work. This is true whether or not you sit in a classroom. The more you write, the better you get at telling stories, building worlds, and creating characters that resonate with readers.
New knowledge, without being an expert
If you’re looking to build your own path to success, but want some guidance, there are thousands of resources available, both online and in person. Sign up for writing workshops, week-long camps, or retreats. Join online courses like
- Masterclass
- Skillshare
- Udemy
- The Novel Academy
- The Author Conservatory
You can also receive one-on-one sessions with Next Chapters for help with anything from brainstorming to editing.
If you’re looking for practice or recognition, look for competitions or submit your work to literary journals and magazines. If your work is accepted, you can start to build a portfolio of your published projects. You may just make some money on the side, too.
The only writer is a dedicated one
In the end, writing a novel isn’t about being an expert; it’s about having the passion to tell a story, the discipline to see it through, and the willingness to learn and grow along the way. It’s only those who dedicate the time and effort that make it. Your unique experiences, perspectives, and voice are what will make your novel stand out.
Don’t let the myth of expertise hold you back. You have everything you need to become a writer today.