If you have a passion for writing, you’ve probably thought about how you can take it to the next level and actually get your work out there. Maybe even get paid for your work? Your goals are important and you need to think about whether you want to get your work published or whether you are happy enough having an audience through a blog. You can also consider the route of self-publishing. Whatever your goals – whether they’re big or small – here are five great tips to help you become a writer.
Write Often
Write, write, and write. It’s that simple. The more you write the better your writing skills will become and the more confident you will become in your abilities. You can try different styles or genres of writing and see if you are comfortable with them. You might even discover you like writing a genre you’d never considered before. Try and take a half hour each day to get busy with your pen and notebook and you will, in time, notice a huge improvement.
Don’t Quit Your Job Just Yet
You might dream of publishing the next bestselling book, but it’s just a dream for so many. So many great writers never actually get credited for their work. If you ultimately want to make money from your work, don’t give up your job just yet or you will find yourself in financial trouble because you won’t be making a lot. For students who have just graduated, it’s also important that you address your loans before embarking on any career in writing. You could consider a student loan refinance from a private lender in order to lower your monthly repayments. Doing so will make your finances much more manageable while you try to find your feet in your chosen writing career.
Write About What You Know
If you want to be able to write well, you need to write about something you understand. If you can’t truly put yourself in the position of your characters then it will come across in the tone and theme of your work. Emotion is a vital aspect of writing and being able to convey that to the reader. But if you’ve never felt something, how can you accurately describe it? Writing is also a way of expressing yourself, so avoid content that deviates too much from who you are or you may find yourself feeling lost and unable to achieve a good workflow.
Listen To Advice But Also Use Your Intuition
The concept of turning a creative hobby into a career can be overwhelming in many ways. The internet is full with advice for budding writers – some of it is useful and some of it can actively dissuade potential authors from continuing to develop. This does not mean that you shouldn’t listen to any advice at all. Your readers are an important tool in improving your own skills. However, always remember that literature is highly subjective and you will get criticism, so don’t ignore your intuition as it is usually right.
Allow Your Writing to Develop
When you first start writing you will quickly find a style. It’s important to allow this to develop because you won’t be as polished. At some point you will look back on your work and think it isn’t very good. This isn’t the case as it’s just that you listened to advice and your style has developed. You’re honing your new craft and that comes with a lot of time and effort.
