The first step in becoming a writer as a profession?

There are many ways of being a writer, you don't have to write stories, unless you want to be a novelist. You could be a columnist or a journalist, a travel writer, you could write content for websites, do some copywriting, write reviews, you could write biography, factual and instructional books, or some informational articles. A blog is a good way to start, and you can submit to writing sites like Helium and Triond (both accept short stories as well as articles), but if you want to earn money on the internet you will do best with article writing and web content. You can find good info in some of the writing discussions here at myLot and if you want to look at my profile I have some links to articles about writing and blogging, and to my own blogs, which could give you some ideas.

There was a writer named Virginia Woolf (if you have a degree in English, I'm sure you know who she is) who said a most famous dictum about writing for a profession and the need for money to do so. I trust you know the quote, but anyway, if you are interested in writing for money, there are numerous ways to do so: 1.) What kind of writing are you interested? Are you interested in short stories, novels because your background specializes in novels, or just because you think it's the most lucrative way to make money? You may do non-fiction and make more. 2.) Writer's Market, Publisher's Marketplace. Get to know these places. Writer's Market is a book and Publisher's Marketplace is an online site. You may get to see places to submit your work and there's a nifty chart in WM that lets you see what you should charge for various freelance work eg. freelance editing, copywriting, proofreading, etc. My overall advice (I am writing my debut novel and hope to find an agent by the end of the year or early 2009) for writers is to keep at it, do not get exploited (in other words, don't write a 500 or 5000 word article and be happy making $10.00. You will NOT become professional doing that. Don't get me wrong, if you take low pay for a couple of assignments you are passionate about, that is fine, but professionals realize where the money is and react accordingly.) and focus on developing a niche. God bless you and happy writing!