As a writer, you have your own unique gifts and only you can do the work you’re meant to do, but you’re also part of a larger art form with a long history and an amazing community. Just as we study the work of the writers we admire, we can study the path they’ve taken and find a pattern emerges. Writers move from students to masters through a series of predictable steps throughout their writer’s career. That means we can take those same steps too.
Of course, your journey won’t look exactly like anyone else’s—and that’s just how it’s meant to be! But understanding the journey that successful writers often go on can help us take the next steps, and by knowing what lies ahead, we may gain a bit of confidence to keep going.
I’ve worked with hundreds of writers at all different stages, and these are the five stages of a writer’s career I’ve noticed. Where are you on this journey?
1. Aspiring Writer
If you’re an aspiring writer, you’re probably making the shift from reader to writer, falling in love with the creative process, and discovering who you are as an artist.
You may spend long hours in the library. Hopefully you’re reading every day, maybe taking notes along the way. You might be experimenting with different techniques, habits, and rhythms.
You might be in a critique group or have a critique partner, someone to share their work with and get feedback from.
You’re at the beginning of the writer’s journey, hopeful, excited, full of questions. This is the time to notice what energizes you. Practice your craft. Write freely. Bring a playful, curious spirit to your creative process. Soon you will be creating good work that feels original and true to your vision.
But it’s not enough to write.
You must begin to live as a writer. Read with intention. Befriend other creatives. Observe the world. Make time to listen to your inner wisdom, so you can develop your own unique perspective. Start to share your work with trusted friends and teachers. Work on smaller projects that will help you gain confidence, clarity, and courage. Think about what you can work on that will be so important and life giving that you will keep going even when you’re discouraged or burnt out.
It’s common to want to rush to the next phase, but there’s so much to be learned in this stage of the writer’s career. Once you’re farther along the path, you won’t be able to return to this safe cocoon, so enjoy this moment.
2. Debut Writer
You’ve published a book. You’re sharing your voice with the world and learning what it means to have a larger audience for your work. This is an exciting time in your journey. You’ve put in the work and built something you can be proud of.
You’re building a community of people who support your work. You’re connecting with readers and learning how to navigate the publishing industry.
You have overcome challenges and committed to your craft. And there’s so much more to learn.
This is the time to be bold and focus your energy on marketing, while being mindful of the kind of work you want to be known for. Soon you’ll return to the writing life and explore your creativity more deeply.
You may worry about how to replicate your success, but if you’re writing, growing, and building relationships, it will be easier than you fear.
3. Established Writer
You have developed a reputation as a writer and have several more amazing projects planned. Your readers are excited for your next book. Reviewers, editors, and librarians are enthusiastic about your work.
You have so much to be proud of!
You are building a multidimensional career. Now is the time to write more books, teach classes, host events, and offer critiques and consults.
You’re expanding your network, services, and audience. While growth is good, it can be easy to get overwhelmed with deadlines and obligations at this stage.
Even as you build your writer’s career, you still deserve to feel creative. You didn’t work this long to just make widgets that sell. You may long to do something more experimental. Follow that instinct!
Enjoying the process, protecting your vision, and honoring your creative process will help you grow in ways you can’t yet imagine.
4. Creative Leader
Your career is vibrant and your impact is potent. You are stepping into a powerful role, leading conversations and movements across genres and mediums. Writers, editors, agents, reviewers, and readers look to you for inspiration and wisdom. People respect your vision and ideas.
You bring your whole self to your work, and people respond passionately. You set the tone and spark conversations.
You’re working across mediums and genres to make this world a better place. You’re doing work only you can do and learning how to live a creative life that’s sustainable and energizing.
You are a leader. Treat your time, energy, and vision accordingly.
5. Legacy Builder
You are building a legacy that your grandchildren will be proud of. You are doing the work you are meant to do and finding satisfaction in the creative process. You’re sharing your wisdom generously through publishing and beyond. You are a supernova.
You have accomplished so much. I know the intense work and focus it has taken to get to this place. But the best is still yet to come!
Now it’s time to enjoy the beauty you have created and use your influence to make an impact that will last for generations.
Give yourself space to grow. Build a retreat. Protect your energy. Pace yourself. Experiment. Wander. Daydream. Pour your heart into your work.
You’re in a special place. Don’t waste a second worrying about what to do with this time.
You know. Your whole life has been building to this moment.
Make magic. That’s what you’re here to do.
Looking for more guidance on how you can take your writing career to the next level? Download The Writer’s Way. This free ebook is filled with prompts, exercises, solutions, encouragement, practical steps, and resources designed for each stage of the writer’s career.
Writer and editor Heidi Fiedler has worked on hundreds of books for clients ranging from Chronicle to Bravery Magazine. She does the deep thinking that’s needed to turn an idea into a book that delights and inspires. Whether it’s a poetic picture book, a zippy chapter book, or a kid-friendly take on the physics of time travel, the books she works on are quirky, playful, highly visual, and often philosophical. She also teaches masterclasses and workshops, coaches writers, and offers manuscript critiques that help writers grow and move forward with confidence and ease.
