Starting in high school, what is the first or the most important step in becoming a writer/author?

Publish something. Be open to your critics. Blog. Find people that will edit for your (this will come in handy as you develop). Find a mentor that is a writer. Study your genre intensely.

Write an ebook and publish through Amazon for free. As you advertise it, you want to get 2000 downloads in the first two weeks and the will give you a Amazon #1 Best Seller designation with you produce hard copies.

By the way, editing is super important.

Garrett: I was a math teacher and then banker who thought that he could never be a writer. In addition, my English education was not a stellar experience. However, I just self-published my third book "70 Actions for Success" and it is doing well on Amazon. The first thing I realized, which you have already realized, is that I had something to say. So, I just started to write. I have advised two friends who both have the makings of a very good seller to just start writing - one page a day means that one has written 365 pages in a year! Discipline works. Second, I found that a good editor makes a world of difference. Third, I have also published a number of articles both in my field of banking and outside the field. I realized that there are numerous paper and online magazines looking for things to publish, it is a matter of finding the one that is looking for your particular work at the right time. It takes some work but you can find that magazine. Don't get discouraged. For example, I recently sent a nonfiction work (my first) to the New Yorker - it did not get published but it was worth the try. Two other suggestions - you can always self-publish. Amazon is very good and I used them for my third book. It costs a bit -$1,800 (it might be a bit cheaper). Maybe you could crowd source and give each contributor a signed copy of your work! Lastly, try looking at YouTube and listening to Laura Gray-Street a professor at Randolph College in Lynchburg, Virginia. She has some great ideas and observations and maybe you could even contact her using her email address which you can find on their website. If you crowd source let me know!