A 15-Year-Old’s Take on the Most Important Quality We Need to Become a Successful Writer

A not-so-hot aspect of writing you might never have explored!

There is simply a hell of lot of advice out there on how to become a successful writer? Sadly, this might turn out only to be added to that list.

Nevertheless, I think you might find it useful, as did I when I first read it. So hear me out.

It started when I read a tweet by Dickie Bush, months ago—

Beginner writers have 2 choices:

1. Curate other experts 2. Say something ultra-specific

Why only 2? CREDIBILITY.

If you’ve never published anything, readers are not going to trust you giving “general advice.”

This made sense to me. It continues to do so.

Yes, it’s CREDIBILITY.

I am not sure if this was even in your wildest of guesses.

We often forget to pay heed to this aspect of our written pieces: Is it credible enough?

We presume it is but is it from the perspective of our readers? Do they trust us as an authority on the topic?

Those are important questions.

What I love about this tweet is that it also tells what beginner writers should do to become credible.

CURATE THE EXPERTS.

It is simple. It takes the burden off your shoulders to be held accountable. And at the same time, makes your words more trustworthy.

And this, in long term, fosters nothing but credibility.

I am not a top-notch credible myself, but I’m trying to become that person. Certain writers have earned a special level of credibility according to me, so much so that I can trust their words solely based on that.

They still quote other credible writers.

They still quote other credible sources.

What I learn from this: Building credibility and trust is an ongoing process with no end. It only increases in degree.

The more you keep this factor in mind the better are your chances of reaping its rewards.

I wish you the best in your writing journey.

This article is a part of “A 15-Year-Old’s Take On” series. I’ll be turning 16 on March 16 and I just want to document how I feel or think about certain topics (at this age). And maybe just reflect on them in the future.

Stay tuned for the next one. Read all stories in this mini-series here. Until next time, bye! 👋👋❤️❤️