Many, many people want to write – it’s an amazingly common dream and almost everyone wishes they could, even if everyone’s ultimate writing goals are different.
There is a problem with this dream, though: Most people have no idea where to start.
It’s an understandable dilemma for a new writer – the writing industry, when viewed from the outside, often seems like an impenetrable secret club, where you have to know all the right handshakes and secret passwords to even be allowed in, let alone to get something published.
You want to get “in” but you don’t know how – people who are in seem to have things you don’t have, and they seem to have them naturally. These people have agents, and editors, and portfolios, and awards, and all sorts of things that you can’t even figure out how to get, since there seems to be a secret formula.
I know because I spent many years feeling like I was never going to get “in” on this secret, not having any clue how. Well, I can’t claim to be an expert, since there’s still a lot I need to learn, but I’ve made a lot of progress since those days spent feeling
0. Make Sure You Know What You’re Doing
I was going to start with building a portfolio, but there’s a fundamental pre-step that many people haven’t completed, and if you’re hoping to succeed in writing, then this is a must.
That crucial pre-step? Knowing how to write. Understanding the rules of grammar, language, punctuation, and just how words and sentences work together are crucial to writing, and while you don’t have to have every last rule memorized before you start your writing career, it is helpful to feel like you know what you’re doing (even if you kind of don’t).
Some resources for this are:
Websites –
http://www.englishgrammar101.com/
http://www.learnenglish.de/grammarpage.htm
http://www.scientificpsychic.com/grammar/enggram1.html
Books –
The Elements of Grammar by Margaret Shertzer
The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr & E.B. White
Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss
Many people will just need a quick review, but some will really need to study a few of these resources before they feel comfortable. Don’t worry – writing is just a skill, like any other, and the only thing that is needed to master it is dedication.
Writing is one of the cheapest hobbies, and can easily turn into a career. If you truly want to write, then just write, and check your grammar and punctuation – before you know, you’ll be a pro 
1. Build Your Portfolio
This is one of the biggest concerns for aspiring writers. It’s important to have writing samples, and even if you’re a total outsider, you know that having a portfolio is key, and that without one, you may as well just pack up and go home.
Basically, it’s the first step of your first steps.
Despite how completely impossible it seems to build a portfolio of articles that you’ve not only written, but actually gotten payment for, it’s actually a pretty easy thing to do. It’s just a matter of knowing where to go and how to get started.
There are many websites where writers without much experience can practice their craft and build a portfolio. It may take some time, but it doesn’t have to – depending on how much time you have to devote to writing and how much skill you already have.
Textbroker – a great resource for aspiring writers, Textbroker allows you to sign up for an author account, and after a short application process, you can immediately begin writing articles for clients and getting paid for your work. It’s a great tool for building your portfolio and getting some experience with writing on various topics. This will give you a chance to find your voice and get good practice, all while earning a little extra income for your work.
Suite101 – Suite101 allows authors to write on topics they are familiar with. Authors earn a portion of the revenue generated from the attention their articles bring to the site (such as ad clicks). Your name appears on the article and, based on the quality of your writing and the popularity of your topic, and you can easily link to these articles when offering writing samples.
Helium – Much like Suite101, Helium is a great platform for putting your know-how to use and getting some practice writing. Articles can be rated, giving you an idea of how you’re doing and where you might need improvement.
Elance – This website works a little differently, allowing you to create a profile and search for jobs or post your services for interested parties to see. They have a very secure payment system and a very simple interface, making working through their system easy and enjoyable.
There are many other services that can allow you to build a portfolio in your free time and practice your craft, but these sites are a great place to start and should help you build confidence and get comfortable with your voice. You’ll even make a few extra bucks while you’re at it, which is always fun. Maybe you’re not able to quit your day job just yet, but it’s a definite step in the right direction.
2. Put Together a Resume
Having a resume is important – it quickly and simply summarizes your work experience, history, and capabilities. This makes it very easy for you to apply for writing positions or inquire about available posts.
If you do not know how to write a resume, or if you don’t feel you have much to put on that’s relevant to your writing resume, don’t fret. Just keep writing. You can even try taking some clients from Craig’s List (as long as you remember that it’s Craig’s List and you have to be careful) to broaden your horizons.
Once you have some things published, you can include them in your resume, and reference any sites you write for as experience. Have a few of your favorite pieces ready to send as examples, in case you’re asked for more.
3. Build Your Online Presence
Many people think that this requires a lot of stress and work and effort, but it’s really very simple. Having an online presence is important, but it’s also pretty easy.
Start with your blog. You really don’t have to have a paid-for domain. If you can afford it,get one, because it really is the best option – it looks more professional and polished, and is definitely something you should at lest aim for.
But if you’re just starting out and that’s really not in the budget, getting a simple blog, with a service like WordPress or Blogger, will be enough. You just want a page where you can showcase your writing and post a little bit about yourself. Just things like basic information, experience, services offered, and rates/fees. Keep it simple and attractive, and try to keep it relatively fresh by posting a quick blog once a week or so. Picking a topic and keeping to it can even help you build a readership and thus clients.
Then get on Twitter and make some friends. You can search the #Writing and #AmWriting hashtags for other people who write, or just start by following a few of your favorite authors and writers, then seeing who Twitter suggests.
You should also make yourself a Facebook page. They’re easy to build and manage, but if you aren’t particularly web-savvy, then a quick Google search will tell you everything you need to know
4. Submit Pieces to Contests
Contests are awesome. Period. They’re fun, they’re exciting, and they make you write. Usually, there are nice guidelines that make your life easier, and you can find a great community to interact with on Twitter (just follow whatever hashtag the contest uses – the site will usually specify), which is not only a lot of fun, but great for motivating you to keep going. Writers make great friends, and are always working to help one another – it’s a very happy place to be.
Make it a point to submit content to contests regularly – eventually, you’re going to win something, which is neat. But you know what’s even better? The fact that if you’re writing like crazy every day, producing lots of content, your writing is going to improve by leaps and bounds. I mean it – you’ll look at something you wrote a few months ago and you’ll think, “This is terrible…” and that is fantastic, because it means you’ve gotten so much better that you can see all the flaws. Growth is good, and writing contests definitely help with that.
5. Take Yourself Seriously
If you’re going to be a writer, you have to think of yourself as one. It can be difficult to get into the proper mindset, but it’s well worth it. I’m not saying that identifying as a writer is going to cause some magical transformation in you – you won’t automatically become a successful author by saying, “I’m a writer. I’m a writer. I’m a writer,” every morning in the mirror, but it will help you feel more like a writer if you, say, start referring to yourself as one. Even if it’s just in private.
You’ll start to feel is more strongly after you’ve been paid to write a few times, and once you start truly considering yourself to be “a writer” – well, it’s a great feeling, and it’ll give you more confidence in your work. It will also help you feel more comfortable approaching potential clients, and when you have a nice portfolio and some experience under your belt, you’ll feel much more prepared to take on new projects and introduce yourself as a – dare I say it – writer.
Fun exercise for this one: When you’re out and about, and a total stranger asks you what you do (hey, it happens), tell them you’re a writer. Maybe you’re not ready to start saying this to people you know, but it’s a very powerful thing, and if you like how it feels, you’ll want to live up to it. You’ll work that much harder to make it a reality.
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If you follow these simple baby steps, all of which can be completed by devoting a couple extra hours to your writing every week, you’ll soon start to see progress. Remember: there’s something far more important than talent, intelligence, or connections, and that is perseverance. Keep going, and before you know it, you’ll be earning a nice side-income simply to practice your writing – it’s like getting paid to learn!
Once you’ve perfected your craft, you can move on to some more serious work. More on that later…till then, happy writing 
P.S.
There’s one final thing that you need to do, and this is by far the most important step for building your craft: You have to write. All the time. Every day, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Keeping a journal is an excellent method, and you can do nightly entries in a few minutes before you go to bed.
