I was 19 years old when I first felt like a real writer.

I wrote a news story about an affordable housing initiative, pitched it to a newspaper in my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, and that paper published my article.

I had my first clip and I felt legit.

But here’s the thing. You don’t need a book or a blog or byline in a newspaper, magazine, or website to be a writer. To be a writer all you have to do is write!

Here are 7 things you can start doing to FINALLY feel like a real writer.

This month I revisited a book I first read years ago when I was a student, a book by John Lee titled Writing from the Body.

The introduction of the book makes a bold declaration: Writer’s block begins in the body.

When I was an English teacher I would begin each school year by challenging my students to write a six-word memoir.