Many writers out there who specialize in content that helps others be better people are super friendly and really hands-on as far as forming a personal connection with their readers. They're good about answering their email promptly and always have a minute to chat over instant message. In other words, they're experts at forming friendships with the people who read their things. As you may or may not have noticed, I'm really not one of those writers.
One of the criticisms I've received most consistently from people who know me is that I'm distant and hard to get to know, and I really can't argue with that assessment. I'm not kidding in the least when I describe myself as introverted to the point of being reclusive. I've never been a very chatty person as far as one-on-one communication goes, even on the internet. However, I've been trying to make up for that by posting more content that directly answers some of the questions people ask me the most.
Aside from how to get started as a writer in the first place, this is by far the question I'm asked the most often. Chances are you already know the answer deep down, but if you genuinely don't, get honest with yourself as to how you'd answer the following questions.
Do you genuinely like writing, or do you just want to have written something?
I assure you they're not the same thing. I've known so many people who love the idea of having published books or a successful blog to point to but don't really enjoy the act of writing. So, how do you feel about it? When you find yourself with spare time on your hands, is your natural response to go, "oh, good, I can do some writing," or do you spend the next several hours of your life binge-watching Netflix like everyone else? Is writing something that brings you joy or a chore that you secretly dread?
If you're serious about making it as a writer, you have to actually write. And you have to write a lot. You'll also likely have to write a lot for a very long time without much of a financial return on your time investment. If you love writing, this won't be an issue. It's something you'd do regardless because it makes you feel alive, and you're just that passionate about it.
I write a lot, and I have since long before I ever found an audience for any of my stuff or could say I earned a living this way. I journal privately on a near-daily basis. I blog on multiple platforms, and I tend to be wordier than the average bear on social media. I produce ad copy and web content for various clients. When I have the extra time and creative energy, I even dabble in creative writing and poetry to mix it up. I can't imagine not being a writer, but it took me a ridiculously long time to "make it" as one, so it helped that I sincerely enjoy writing. Just saying.
Are you confident, almost to the point of it being a character flaw?
Because crazy-confident writers tend to be the most successful writers in the long run. It takes balls to see yourself as someone worth listening to in the first place and to put your writing out there expecting other people to read it. It takes big balls to keep believing in yourself and in what you're doing even when it seems like nobody cares about your writing.
And once you do find an audience, it takes confidence to keep writing even when you get trolls in your comment section making insanely rude personal assumptions about your character for daring to write something that wasn't in line with their world view. And the more successful you become, the more often that's going to happen. Because eventually, you won't just have people trolling you because they genuinely don't like your writing. They'll be doing it because they don't think you deserve your success and are mad that they're not in your shoes.
In other words, writers bent on making it need thick skins and an unshakeable belief in what they're doing because it's impossible to please everyone. And, honestly, if you are pleasing everyone, that's a bad sign that you're also playing things too safe and not really saying anything worthwhile. Good writing comes from the heart and stirs people's emotions. Not all feelings are comfortable or positive, so keep that in mind. Even the negative reactions to what you do can have value if you learn to look at them in the right light.
Is jealousy a positive force in your life or a negative one?
A lot of people think jealousy is always a negative force, but I strongly disagree. There's toxic jealousy that drives people to tear others down and act like the trolls I was just talking about above. But there are benevolent forms of jealousy, as well. That type of jealousy motivates you to get better at what you do and work harder at it than you might have previously. It makes you more successful than you likely would be if you were a model human being without a jealous bone in your body.
Because you will find yourself feeling jealous of other writers eventually. Seriously, show me a writer who says they've never been jealous of another writer who's earning more than they do or who has a bigger audience, and I'll show you a liar with their pants on fire. It's how you react to it that makes the difference. If jealousy makes you want to throw in the towel and quit, then you're going to have a heck of a lot of trouble making anything of your writing.
I'll admit right now that some of the writers I admire the most on Medium and elsewhere make me jealous on the regular. I want to be as successful as possible and cultivate the kind of skill and readership they have. But I don't hate them for being better at all this than I am or begrudge them their success. Instead, I'm grateful. They give me examples to look up to and learn from. They motivate me every day to become a better writer than I was the day before just by being who they are.
How adaptable are you?
Making it as a writer isn't like making it as a dentist or a lawyer. There's no clear path just about anyone can follow to get where they want to be. Writers are artists, and like other artists, they need to have a clear plan in place regarding how they're going to pursue their success, but they need to be open to deviating from that plan when it makes sense. Because let me tell you, it's not always easy to predict what will work for you.
Despite being someone who's always loved to write, I never saw myself as a writer when I was younger, and neither did anyone else. Seriously, I think I was encouraged to professionally pursue just about every interest I had as a young person except writing -- art, cooking, animals, you name it. And when I did start exploring that as an option, I didn't do it by sharing my voice and putting my own ideas out there. I became a copywriter and content producer because that was "sensible." It even sort of worked... for a while.
Then AB-5 came along around this time last year and threatened pretty much any freelancer's ability to earn a living in the state of California, writers included. That forced me to start diversifying, and that's when I found out that I could actually make even better money doing the type of writing I genuinely love to do. Even now, I can't always predict what opportunities will come along or how things might change for me in the future, but I continuously adapt and come back stronger.
At the end of the day, writing -- especially on any sort of freelance basis -- isn't like any other job. You'll either fall madly in love with the freedom it gives you to speak your mind and eventually even scratch out a living on your own terms, or you won't. So, really, if you're likely to make it out there as a writer, you already know it. You just need to get ballsy enough to take the first step.
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