Naomi Dawn Musch

There are lots of writers out there. For some of them, their byproduct has been publication. But not all of the published ones are very professional. They've simply been fortunate, and if their unprofessionalism shows up in their work, maybe they aren't even that.

At the same time, there are some unpublished writers who behave very professionally. They are made up of the stuff that marks them as professionals whose day just hasn't come yet.

How can an unpublished writer be a professional? It's all in how they treat their work. Even unpublished, a writer is on the path to a great future if they are doing those things now which mark professionalism.

There are two things that define whether or not you might be a professional. Being published is not one of them. This week in part one of this essay, I'll address the first mark of professionalism.

You Might Be a Professional Writer if You Maximize Your Potential.

I've met a lot of writers who are satisfied with their work much too easily, either because they consider a piece to be finished before it is, because they are tired of it and just want to start something new, or because they give up on themselves. They haven't maximized their potential.

It seems obvious, trite even, to say always do your best. But is it? Every time you finish a piece, whether it’s a blog post or novel, are you prepared to say you've done your best? Have you cleaned and polished until you can't figure out what else to do to it?

Do you study craft with an eye to what makes fine writing? This means you read widely. Believe it or not, I've met writers who say they either don't like to read or don't have the time. What?! You can't be a professional writer if you aren't reading a ton in the area you write. But even reading outside your genre in fields of both fiction and nonfiction will expand your vocabulary, your style, your eye for detail and description, your voice. Without being a widely read writer, you will stagnate, and possibly grow very full of yourself.

Not only should you be reading a LOT, you should be absorbing instruction on writing through books, blogs, podcasts, writers' groups, magazines, and so on. Artists never stop growing and learning, and writers are artists. Be open to new instruction. Even well-known writers -- some of the ones whose professionalism I, for one, respect -- say that they never stop studying craft.

Study publishers. Know the markets. Even if you aren't ready to submit your work, have a good understanding of what it's going to take to do so. Observe which trends are coming and going. Know what's already been done. Most publishers and agents have blogs these days. Pay attention to them.

And finally, another way to maximize potential that may seem obvious is this: professional writers write.They don't just talk about writing. They don't dabble at it. They scoff at notions of writers' block. They overcome and get words on a page, even if the page looks like a mess when they're done. They push on. They work through it. Then they go back to the top of this list. They clean, polish, refine -- or throw the whole thing out and start again if it isn't evolving into the best it can be. Writers who either are professional or long to be, carve out a time, put their backsides into a chair, and make their fingers work the keyboard.

Next week I'll hit the second point of being a professional writer. This one might sting. In the meantime go warm up that keyboard. Maximize your God-given potential.

Write on!

Click on "New Entry" above to read Part 2 of Do You Write Like a Professional

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/7m5a5ah

Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/3gelmzp

Desert Breeze / Other Formats: http://tinyurl.com/43jbuvd