A Professional Writer’s Journey
I love to write. One of my most memorable, heady experiences was receiving my first cheque for my writing. It was all the encouragement I needed. I dove headfirst into the world of journalism, editors, and deadlines. I experienced the rough-and-ready world of journalism, the gritty reality of chasing down stories, and dealing with people who either loved me or demonize me for my work.
I’ve met and interviewed scientists and entrepreneurs, local leaders and politicians, artists and artisans. Their stories enriched my life and provided me the raw material to write better, more credible, and more interesting articles. It has been a fascinating journey.
When it comes to writing skill, I am not one who believes “you either have it or you don’t”. I think those who “have it” start with an interest in writing – possibly a dream of publishing their thoughts and words for the world to read. It’s an ongoing obsession they can’t shake. If this describes you, rest assured, you can and will learn the skills you need to get published and to make a living as a writer if you choose to.
Today, more than ever before, the world craves fresh perspectives, good ideas and compelling prose. There is so much opportunity, and I can’t think of a better way to begin then by submitting your article to Roy and Trish Summerhayes. They will make sure you get an audience on their three local websites: Seniors101, Island Woman and Vancouver Island Now. It’s an excellent way to start getting your writing noticed. Indeed, Roy can share several success stories where consistent writers of focused topics were offered positions or money for their work. I write for their online magazines semi-regularly as I have time, and I’m always pleasantly surprised to see my work show up well in search engines.
For those of you who are getting started, I want to share a few secrets from a professional writer’s world that will encourage and possibly surprise you.
Secret number 1: Writing is difficult for almost everyone.
If I were to make an educated guess, I’d say 98.9 percent of us struggle with writing; with formulating the right words that truly convey our thoughts and to compel our readers to take action (click that affiliate link). Indeed, I’ve met only one person in my lifetime who seemed to be able to write without effort. Gip Forrester could write an entire and perfect article on his first draft. More than that, he could write an article by hand while he was conversing with someone. It was eerie – like he was channelling someone.
Gip was a consummate storyteller, retired preacher and he absolutely loved Christmas. (Check out his Youtube channel). I met him years ago while I was an advertising rep for Senior Living Magazine (now 55+ Lifestyle). Once a month, he would write an article by hand and fax it to our office where we would type it out and publish it.
I tried to find out how he was able to write with such confident precision. I so wanted to emulate him. But he didn’t really know. “I just do”, he would laugh in his deep baritone. He passed away several years ago, and never since have I met an individual with such an amazing faculty for writing.
For the rest of us, even for professional writers such as myself – I accept the pronoun “professional” only because I make a living with my writing – you may be surprised to know I continually struggle with written words. They are as vexing as a Riemann hypothesis – an unsolvable math riddle for which I can never find a satisfactory solution. The only difference between those who write and those who do not is those who do embrace the struggle.
Secret number 2: How to Find Inspiration to Write
Several my clients wonder how I can remain inspired to crank out articles and newsletters and interviews, and I’m always happy to share my methods with them, just as I will share it with you. Are you ready?
Here it is.
There is no such thing as being inspired to write. Nada. The creative writing process is work. Sorry if I have disappointed you.
I will provide an exceedingly small caveat; There are times when I find myself in the “flow”, where it seems words drip like honey from my fingers as they fly across the keyboard like magic, and everything I write works. But that comes rarely. The muse only comes to those who regularly practice the craft, just as any sport or profession.
A quote from William Faulkner sums it up: “I write when I’m inspired, and I see to I that I’m inspired at nine o’clock every morning.”
Meaning, don’t wait for inspiration to write. It almost never happens. Treat it like the job it is. Put your working clothes on, schedule it and get going.
Secret number 3: Never Stop Writing.
Even though more than half of what I write ends up in my computer’s trash file, never to be blessed by a visit from a Google bot, I’ve come to accept this as the price I must pay in order to write enough words for some wheat to grow out of the chaff. And believe me, sometimes I work through a great deal of chaff to find the wheat!
I ascribe to what Peter Elbow detailed as “the Direct Writing Process” in his book “Writing with Power”. In short, the Direct Writing Process encourages you to put as many words on paper as you possibly can so you will have something to work with; A great mass of clay on the table for you to sculpt. After all, no clay, no sculpture.
The most important psychological trick with this process is to give yourself permission to write without editing. Don’t stop to go back and fix the last sentence you wrote. Don’t worry if you veer off topic. Keep writing for a designated period of time you set in advance, even if all you can think to write is, “I don’t know what to write.”
TIP: Write instead, “I don’t know what to write, but…”
Once you have committed to a writing routine, don’t stop. At least, not until you’ve created enough content to realize your goals for affiliate revenue. After you make some coin, you can hire writers to help, or invite like minded people to co-write or guest post on your site, or one of a dozen other strategies to lighten your writing load.
However, the hard truth is, when you are just starting out, you are the one who needs to wrestle daily with writing. Commit to it. Start with 15 minutes of continuous writing a day and build on it.
Don’t worry about such nonsense as “finding your voice”, your “writing style” or “writers write” or even “writing is a talent that can’t be learned”. It’s all baloney. You are good enough and you can do it. After all, you were inspired enough by your topic to start up a website about it!
Stop and recognize the haunting echoes of your English teacher for what it is. A gibbering voice trying to avert you from your success. There are literally millions professional writers who have written their way out from under the shadow cast by their high school teachers who slaughtered their initial, tentative foray into writing, their firstborn made to bleed red ink, all in the name of academic achievement.
Your English teacher was an audience of one. You are destined to write for an audience of thousands.
Secret number 4: The Real Magic is Editing.
Now that you’ve completed some writing and you have a mass of clay to work with, it’s time to put on your editor hat.
Up to this point, I’ve made light of the rules of writing with the purpose of getting you started. Now, before you post your creation, you need to spend time rereading, editing, and polishing. It is time to apply what you know about writing to improve your article’s structure and flow, and to correct grammatical mistakes.
This is where I spend at least half my time at minimum. Yes, I find it painful. Yes, I’m impatient to get my newly minted article posted for others to consume and enjoy. Editing is sometimes a difficult process, but it is necessary. If you are not yet a strong writer, this is where I suggest you spend some money. Hire a good editor to help you polish your pros and deliver the best version of your thoughts to your audience.
I almost always put my written piece away for a day, then open and reread it the next day. Many a time I’ve written thoughts I believed were amazing gems only to reread with fresh eyes and realize my pithy passage did nothing for the overall message and needed to be cut.
Even if you are a confident writer, make sure at least one other set of eyes look it over to offer you some feedback. Then listen to that feedback without emotion it if you can. Realize, in the end, all writing is simply a product for consumption.
So set your sails, sharpen your pen, and I’ll see you in the trenches!
William Faulkner Quote
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2013/10/30/inspire-nine
Gip Forester Christmas Stories
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_UMPCUln1VE4WqGa848rAXfduY6gyoNz
Mathieu Powell I President
Coastline Marketing Inc.
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Main Office: 778-425-4644
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mathieu@coastline.marketing
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