Part of our "Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career" Video series
( Read the transcript )
CAN YOU WRITE?
What do the people around you say? Barring comments from your parents, who probably think everything you do turns into gold anyhow, are you constantly being told that you should be a writer? Maybe you write short stories to read to your friends and they all gush about your talent. Perhaps you contribute to a company newsletter and your fellow employees tell you that your column is the only thing in the entire newsletter that they bother to read. If you continually get comments about how you should be a writer, and you personally agree with that assessment, then this is a good indicator that you may want to give it a shot. On the other hand, if you secretly write stories and poetry but luck them away and don't let anyone ever read them, you are doing yourself a disservice. The comments of the people around you can be golden when you are trying to hone your writing skills.
What does your academic history say? When you were in school, did you constantly get the highest marks in your grammar and composition classes? If you wrote for the school newspaper, were you praised for your engaging writing style? You may have had teachers who took you aside and intimated to you that you have a talent for writing. You should not discount these experiences, even if high school or college were years ago. It is often during these formidable years that people come to the realization that they should be professional writers, but sometimes the fear of rejection or the idea that being a professional writer is unattainable stops people from trying. If it has been years since you were in school, but you can still remember having a real talent for writing, you can use these memories as a catalyst to get you started.
Can you truly envision yourself as a writer? Some writers truly enjoy writing, but once they turn professional they don't enjoy it nearly as much because they do not like dealing with deadlines, editors, and the whole process of finding their next paying gig. When you write professionally, there may be days when you just don't feel like writing but with deadlines looming you have no choice. This means that writer's block must be conquered, procrastination pushed aside, and a gung-ho writing attitude embraced. If the idea of writing under a deadline and then having your writing blasted to bits by an editor turns your stomach then you will either need to get over it or find a different profession.
Tip: When I first started writing, I relished everything about it. I loved the process of finding jobs, writing about new topics, and I especially loved seeing my work in print. As I progressed along in my career I realized that I could really see myself doing this for the rest of my life. This means that there is no question in my mind that I will always write. I think that this frame of mind helped me to have the gumption I needed to move forward and apply for (and win) jobs I would have never thought I would get. Adopt the frame of mind that "this writing thing" is what you do. You're a writer.
What do the people around you say? Barring comments from your parents, who probably think everything you do turns into gold anyhow, are you constantly being told that you should be a writer? Maybe you write short stories to read to your friends and they all gush about your talent. Perhaps you contribute to a company newsletter and your fellow employees tell you that your column is the only thing in the entire newsletter that they bother to read. If you continually get comments about how you should be a writer, and you personally agree with that assessment, then this is a good indicator that you may want to give it a shot. On the other hand, if you secretly write stories and poetry but luck them away and don't let anyone ever read them, you are doing yourself a disservice. The comments of the people around you can be golden when you are trying to hone your writing skills.
What does your academic history say? When you were in school, did you constantly get the highest marks in your grammar and composition classes? If you wrote for the school newspaper, were you praised for your engaging writing style? You may have had teachers who took you aside and intimated to you that you have a talent for writing. You should not discount these experiences, even if high school or college were years ago. It is often during these formidable years that people come to the realization that they should be professional writers, but sometimes the fear of rejection or the idea that being a professional writer is unattainable stops people from trying. If it has been years since you were in school, but you can still remember having a real talent for writing, you can use these memories as a catalyst to get you started.
Can you truly envision yourself as a writer? Some writers truly enjoy writing, but once they turn professional they don't enjoy it nearly as much because they do not like dealing with deadlines, editors, and the whole process of finding their next paying gig. When you write professionally, there may be days when you just don't feel like writing but with deadlines looming you have no choice. This means that writer's block must be conquered, procrastination pushed aside, and a gung-ho writing attitude embraced. If the idea of writing under a deadline and then having your writing blasted to bits by an editor turns your stomach then you will either need to get over it or find a different profession.
Tip: When I first started writing, I relished everything about it. I loved the process of finding jobs, writing about new topics, and I especially loved seeing my work in print. As I progressed along in my career I realized that I could really see myself doing this for the rest of my life. This means that there is no question in my mind that I will always write. I think that this frame of mind helped me to have the gumption I needed to move forward and apply for (and win) jobs I would have never thought I would get. Adopt the frame of mind that "this writing thing" is what you do. You're a writer.
