text: the second thing you have to do to be a writer is to keep on writing don t listen to people who tell you that very few people get published and you won t be one of them don t listen to your friend who says you are better that tolkien and don t have to try any more keep writing keep faith in the idea that you have unique stories to tell and tell them i meet far too many people who are going to be writers someday when they are out of high school when they ve finished college after the wedding when the kids are older after i retire that is such a trap you will never have any more free time than you do right now so whether you are or you should sit down today and start being a writer if that is what you want to do you might have to write on a notebook while your kids are playing on the swings or write in your car on your coffee break that s okay i think we ve all been there done that it all starts with the writing