Q: What Even Are Your Credentials to Be a Novelist?!

Writing a novel is hard work and heart work. Today I unpack this oft-unspoken question that lives rent-free in the heads of so many a writer, novelist, and aspiring novelist.

I won't "bury the lede" here, friends. Here's the most important thing to know: You absolutely do not need any one special thing to be a good writer.

The roads to writing (and novel writing) are direct, roundabout, long and winding, and short and straight (and gay). There is no set path, and most importantly, there is no single credential that inherently makes you—or anyone—a superstar writer.

So what are the "real" credentials to be a novelist? Do you need an MFA? Absolutely not, no. How about some sequence of classes in creative writing? No. What about formal study on author's craft? Not necessarily. Huh. So what? You don't need anything? Well, that's also not true.

I can only speak from my experience, but I do have experience, and my experience tells me there are things that help in novel writing, none of which is absolutely vital. Again, these things simply help. So what are those things? Well, let's cue the numbered list here:

1. A Story (or Even Just a Story Starter) that Resonates with You

You don't need a full plot to start writing. In fact, in some cases, having it all mapped out can be more of a harm. What helps, though, is to have at least some spark that gets you going. What little story do you want to tell? What little moment or vignette do you have in your head right now that makes you feel something? If you have something floating up there that moves you, start there. That story starter might not pan out, and that is totally okay. It might end up a simple writing practice or as flash fiction or a short story. All of those end points are noble, but I find it is key not to obsess over the endpoint. Let the story go where it ultimately goes, but if you have a story to tell, well, you have something special and something to do with that special thing: Write it. Just start.

2. Read Widely and Within the Genre

This is timeless wisdom because it's true: One of the best ways to improve your writing is simply to read. It's rare to be a good writer but not to have done a volume of reading. It's typically through exploring the writing of others that we develop our own voice, style, and ideas on syntax. If you are interested in telling a story in a specific genre, read more extensively within that genre, and I would recommend starting with its classics or modern classics. Train there.

3. Try to Learn 80% of the Ins and Outs of the Language

Like all the recommendations in this list, this, too, is optional, but in my experience, writing in a language becomes increasingly effortless the more you know about it. For English, I'd recommend learning the core rules of grammar, punctuation, and mechanics. After all, are you going to write with style that a learned reader can appreciate if you don't know how to make the moves? Plus, as the saying goes, once you learn the rules, you get to break them, and breaking things can be fun. :) Unintentionally breaking the rules of language is awkward at best, slightly embarrassing at worst, but breaking the rules with style, finesse, and control? Man, that's rebelliously cool.

4. Lean into Mentors Where You Can Find Them

I include this recommendation with a note of caution: People who pose as mentors are not always 100% good for the writer or aspiring writer. Most of the people who have mentored me along the way did more to uplift than break down, but mentors are people, and people can do harm. There are teachers, professors, editors, and fellow writers out there whose shadow side is strong and who can dispense wisdom while also ripping or crunching the soul a bit, so tread carefully and use your own judgment. Remember, you are the writer, not them. Consider what they have to say, and when it seems to come from a good place, give it even more consideration, but just be careful: In every profession there are the crusty, disillusioned elders who will tell you, "Don't do it. It's not worth it. You won't make it." Take the useful kernels they also dispense, but when they spew negativity, shield yourself and try to shed it.

5. Consider Your Audience

Regardless of whether you are writing for publication or not, if you are writing for an audience beyond yourself, as a writer, it's always a good idea to consider those folks' needs and wants—ideally in that order.

First up, audience needs—What do your readers need from you in order to process your content as you intend? This is Communication Theory 101. As writers, we have a message to share, but that doesn't mean the message we encode and send will end up being the same message that is decoded and received on the other side, so help your readers out. What guardrails and railings can you put around your content to lead your audience around, to help them not to get lost?

Next, audience wants. These can sometimes chafe at one's independent spirit (said from experience), but a hard truth is that audiences won't read, or finish, what they don't see value in. Pretty writing and honest storytelling can be value drivers for readers—and points of pride for writers—but they aren't necessarily enough, not if the core story winds up being a tedious slog or too "one note" in anything—brutality, cheeriness, or instructiveness, to name a few.

If you truly don't care at all about how readers respond to your work, then write it exactly as you want, but otherwise, give some consideration to your audience. If you are not planning to go fully commercial, it can certainly take more of a backseat, but it still needs to be done, especially if you want to draw and retain readers. Some general advice on where to start: Add hills and valleys. Don't ever get too lost in the weeds. Avoid heavy-handedness and blatant moralizing. Build to the end.

6. Do Not Use AI to Write

Finally, I cannot not talk about AI when blogging about writing in the later 2020s, and hey, at least I didn't go all Luddite on you and say not to use AI at all. No, from my own experience, AI can be a useful tool for idea generation and idea refinement.

Personally, I don't love chatting with AI, but it can be a productive sounding board for writing when you are considering options and avenues (or writing moves), provided you know what you are working with: AI sycophancy remains a thing (even though many of the models have tried to dial it back). What this means is that most AI has a deep penchant for validating whatever you are saying, so if you are checking an idea against AI, the AI will probably try to agree with you to some extent unless it truly cannot. If you want more honest feedback, try asking more open-ended questions or binary questions—ideally with an "or" in there—without indicating which way you are leaning, but remember, AI has significant limitations: Even when doing "research," it goes for easier answers than thorough, more correct ones. It still sometimes hallucinates, which means it creates something illusory and claims it to be real and true. And it will always try to string you along for more chatter by asking clarifying questions at the end or offering to share an extra back-pocket tip or trick. If you don't need more from the AI, don't bite.

And then, what I actually came to this point to say: I don't advise using AI to write for you. Ever. Not a single page. Not a single paragraph.

If you want to be a human writer or novelist, be a human writer or novelist. An authentic one. Authentic, respected practitioners put in the work; they don't cheap out on—or opt out of—the core task of the job.

Now, you want to let AI co-pilot your emails? Help you to plan a budget? Hey, as long as you aren't claiming to be a professional email writer or budget analyst, go for it, I guess. Do you see what I'm saying?

What about using AI for editing your writing? AI editors are getting better, and using one of those for feedback on words that you wrote is different from having AI write the words. Still, I'd proceed with caution. I think AI for technical editing is fine. I think AI doing heavier revision—because that is a core part of the writing process—is not.

Bottom line on AI: If you want to be a writer of words (as the names "writer" and "novelist" suggest), write the damn words yourself. AI general knowledge or advice is one thing; AI writing is something else entirely, and I, personally, would not touch that something else (nor does the industry want any part of that).

Oh, hey, this is a great segue into a little plug: My lil' gay romance novel The Lows, the Lewd, and the Light is entirely AI-free and releases later this summer! 🖤