Ways to become a guru among today’s writers
JD Salinger was a very private person, who tended to express his thoughts and emotions like all other writers do: through writing. Can you imagine the struggles of a half-Jewish man fighting in World War II? No wonder Salinger was so disappointed in humanity that he withdrew from the public eye when The Catcher in the Rye achieved success immediately after publication.
If we search history, we will find many other examples of introverted writers, who felt persecuted by their own popularity. Privacy gives us a sense of focus and strength. When we want to write, we withdraw. Today’s writer, however, is very different from the classical type. Hey, Sir Salman Rushdie even tweeted a (not-so-glorious) poem about Kim Kardashian.
The writers are getting in front of their audience in a way history has never seen. Your privacy is affected, but the connection with your readers becomes deeper and more meaningful. “Once I walked into a party and saw Salman Rushdie hugging Stephen King. That genius was the party. So I went home,” that tweet paints a clear picture: Writers are becoming more popular than ever.
Modern writers are no longer lonely. They are leaders who have enough authority to influence people’s opinions on the most random things. They are becoming gurus.
All writers want to achieve that status, but there is a problem: the competition is huge! It seems like the whole world is blogging, tweeting, and connecting through Instagram. How does one stand out in that crowd?
Practical Tips: How to Become a Guru Writer
From today’s perspective, a guru is an influential person whose advice and opinions people respect. To achieve such popularity, a writer should primarily focus on his own work and take advice from professional writers into account. When he has a good foundation in publishing, he can begin to attract followers and raise awareness for causes he cares about. At that point, you can follow these tips that will make you a guru:
1. Think outside the box!
Your activity on social networks must be marked by creativity. Gary Shteyngart and Joe Dunthorne shine on Twitter, making them good examples to follow. Each of her posts encourages some kind of reaction: laughter, affirmation, criticism, anger, or interest from the mother for clicking on a link. That’s how powerful creative tweets are.
2. Beware of modern trends and novelties
How about expressing your opinions on the presidential elections? The audience expects to see what influencers think about these topics, so you need to get involved in trends. After all, the goal of a guru is to share opinions and ideas that guide people’s reasoning to a better place. That’s why social media is a great place to share your reactions to current events.
3. Share valuable life experiences
When you respect a writer and find them on social media, you expect them to reveal a more private side of them. You look at his personal opinions and struggles through his work, but now you expect something more precise. Bill Bryson is a travel writer, so sharing experiences is his job, but we can all follow his example: travel, see more of this world and bring new destinations to our readers.
4. One word: clarity!
There is no place for incomprehensible status updates on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks. If you need to express yourself through a longer text, make sure the sentences are short and sweet; just the way the online audience likes them. Hemingway is the gold standard of style modern readers like, so try to maintain that clarity when communicating with your audience. Hemingway Editor is a tool that you may find useful for that purpose.
Despite the great competition that modern writers face, there is still a way for them to become true gurus. The good thing about the current reading market is that there is an audience for all authors. All you need to do is find your target readers in the online world and show them your true personality. The simple tips you just read will help you become the writer all readers want to follow.