"How to Become an Author"

I'm about to go to sleep, but before I did that I wanted to share a link with you.

"How to Become an Author"

From the site: "letters written by prominent authors to one Mr. Alan Jones." They're all fairly interesting and fairly short.

One thing I noticed was the weary disapproval of most of the authors at Mr. Jones' query. Is this because writing well is really so hard? Or because there are so many writers who will never make it regardless of their talent that it's foolish to be encouraging? There is almost a sense throughout the letters that writing is something shameful and horrible (and yet the writers do indeed continue to write, do they not?).

What would you write to Mr. Jones, providing you believe you have wisdom enough to pass on to someone who might be in the same canoe?

Here's mine:

Dear Mr. Jones,

If it is your true desire to be an author, you must first practice authing. You ought auth often, with short breaks to keep your authing fresh.

Once you become an author, please let me know how it is actually done.

Thank you,

A. C. Holwerda