Want to be a successful writer?
Whether you aspire to writing books, or blogging, or writing web content, or business writing... here's what counts: GETTING IT DONE.
Once it's done, you can fix it if you need to, and you usually will. But if you sit and think, or play on Facebook when you should be tapping the keyboard, you'll wonder why writing is so hard.
Big tip: writing is easy. If you can talk, you can write. It's writing well that's more challenging, but the only way you'll improve your writing skills is by writing. Writing demands a close interaction between your right brain (creativity) and your left brain (logic). Those pathways in your brain are created and deepened when you DO IT, daily.
If you're a writer, writing should be as natural to you as breathing. This won't happen overnight. However, once it does happen, you'll be able to write without drama -- it will just be something you do. Sooner or later, with all that practice, you'll do it rather well. :-)
Daily writing is your key to writing fast, and selling more. Here's another big tip: your clients LIKE fast. They love it. If you meet your deadlines consistently, they'll prefer working with you to working with a writer who's better than you are, when and if they can get that writer to produce. Divas in any profession are a royal pain in the rear, and once a client gets a taste of a particular writer's diva-dilettante attitude, that's the last time that writer will work for that client. And for everyone he knows, for that matter.
Here are three simple tips which will help you to get it done, whatever it is:
1. Give yourself a deadline, and commit to itIf you're writing for others, you have a deadline. Create your own deadline anywhere from three days to a week before the "real" deadline. Meet it.
If you're writing for yourself, just DO IT. Give yourself a deadline which you think is impossible for you. Then meet the deadline.
Yes, this means that you often won't have time to play computer games, watch TV, or chat with friends. No one ever said the writer's life was easy. (A caveat: once you develop the right attitude and skills, it IS easy. :-))
2. Assume that you know how to do itPlease, never think you can't write "X". "X" may be a book, a screenplay, a greeting card, a
blog... whatever. Tell yourself that you can, because you can, with a little education, and with practice.
Wanting to write X is always a pretty good clue that you CAN write it, once you're determined. After all, whatever X is, it's created by stringing ideas, concepts, and ultimately words together in a certain form. There's no mystery. Once you know how something is done, all it takes is writing.
3. Realize that your clients, readers, and all those other people who scare you are people tooEditors and other buyers of your writing are people, just like you. Most are kind, and well-intentioned, and possess varying degrees of competence.
Respect them, and they'll respect you. However, they're busy. They may not respond to you in a timely manner, or even at all. Never take any interaction between you and a buyer or a reader personally. Always be respectful and courteous.
Courtesy demands that you learn how to write a business letter/ email. If you're not sure how, visit your local library and take out a book on business communications. It couldn't hurt, and it may just be the best thing you ever did for your writing career.
BIG TIP: when you're writing email, think about the person to whom you're writing. Put yourself in his shoes. Would you enjoy reading your message? If you wouldn't, rewrite it. Email is tricky. Avoid humor, and all forms of sarcasm. The person reading your message has 200 other messages he needs to skim. If your message is well formatted (no fancy fonts, please, or images), courteous, and straightforward (get to the point -- skip your life story), he'll respond, if he has time.
Getting it done is just doing it -- no excuses. Eventually, you'll be amazed at how natural writing feels, and you'll be eager to get to the keyboard every day. Then you'll be successful at whatever form of writing you've chosen.
Happy writing. :-)
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