Writing is a hobby ,a job, a way to express ideas.
However there is no rule axed in stone as to how it has to be done .
There are guidelines you can use.
Before Choosing a subject write about choose your passion.
The More enthusiasm you have about a topic the more productive you will be.
Loving what you do makes you want to take pride in It .Thereis no use writing about niches you have no interest?
Th quality of the content matters the most.
Some writers choose topics because they are trending and popular .
In other cases people choose the writing profession as a means of making money.
Money can be made but only after you have gone through the process and that is what some would be writers fail to understand.
If you are looking to establish yourself then you are better off choosing subjects you love.
Yes you will face stumbling blocks.
Writers have to deal with burn out, we have to deal with the editing publishing and creating content.
Loving what you do is just as important.
One of the main reasons why I am able to draft and post weekly is because I enjoy the process.
A major Part of the process is having patience and will power to draft edit and publish.
So in essence If you do not have the passion and drive you might just throw in the towel the minute things don’t go your way.
https://youtu.be/lwhOd65gGoY
Having the passion and drive is what keeps me going weekly.
No matter what I face I can overcome.
It is a habit for me .
I have noticed improvement over the last year or so too.
Consistency is a big part of it .
As long as you remain steadfast you will get better .
Set up a content schedule that you know you can manage.
Do not over commit because you do not need to put pressure on yourself.
Pressure puts a strain on you and stifles creativity.
A creative writer is a free writer.
A free writer Is not a prisoner of rules.
Never ever entrap yourself.
Leave yourself some room to grow.
And it is not so much how much words you write.
It is the enjoyment you get out of writing the words.
When you are enjoying it chances are your audiences will too.
So there is no secret to becoming a good writer.
Here is what you can do to do to be a better writer
1. Structure sentences
2. Work on your grammar skills
3. Spelling
There are more ways I am sure.
I listed the three examples to show it doesn’t take a genius to be a good journalist .
Plus I want to make sure that the way I am explaining it is easy to userstand .
So put your time in and read books.
Reading helps to improve your vocabulary too.
So Get on board.
Find out which skillsets compliment your writing style the most.
Which ones don’t?
So what you want to do here is sift through the wheat.
What you are also doing is shaping conditioning yourself to be polished .
Small tweaks here and there makes a world of a difference.
Be not driven by regulation they only restrict and cage abilities.
Too many of you bloggers are frustrated and confused.
The reason being is that you are unhappy.
In addition to that you have no specific aims or goals to target.
Your sole focus is making money when in fact you should be thinking of ways to enhance your skillsets.
Be a student of the game.
You have to be one that is willing to learn
Knowledge obtained is good but writing is even more important.
Ask Stephen king
Even he would tell you the best way to improve is by writing.
Very simple to understand yet so over looked because We think we need to be complexed .
You have to be conditioned and disciplined.
Allocate time .
Make writing a priority if it is something you want to pursues as a profession.
Here is where else I think bloggers get it wrong .
Some bloggers do not hire or invest money back into the their blog .
The reason being is that some do not look at blogging as business so therefore growth is limited.
What you put In Is what you get out.
So you need to be learning un-covering and testing.
Learning will take you to the next level.
If you aren’t learning then you are not moving.
You will see improvement in your writing and comprehension skills.
The main thing is to stay patient and committed to achieving your goals
The mindset and attitude is going to determine the outcome.
There will be days when you feel like giving up.
But if you are in love with the process you won’t.
You do not necessarily have to write every week.
However I do think a few drafting session should get the job done.
There is no need to go extra hours burning yourself out.
The idea is to keep up the intensity and energy.
If you are stressed out depressed forcing yourself you can’t enjoy yourself.
Which brings you to my next point .
Writing is an art form an expression.
People vent and share all the time in difderent ways.
Writing is an outlet.
If your feeling limited then how are you going to grow ?
How far do you want to go?
Is it a hobby ?
I think most people taking the hobby approach approach enjoy writing the most .
When you take it serious you put pressure on yourself
Where as the hobbyist goes along casually no pressure on his /shoulders at all.
I think people identify “full-time writer ” as success.
When in fact that is not the case.
The title makes no difference .
To do so is regressive (counter- productive) There are no added benefits.
Me personally I just go along and write.
I feel that there is no bonus in using titles to describe my love as a writer.
On the flip side meeting deadlines trying to curate a banger might work for you but not for me.
The way my schedule is set up now is ideal.
I have time in between to draft,edit and promote older post in my archives.
I want the maximimum expousre and rewards .
It Only makes sense to get the best value for my time .
So Having clear goals helps.
Like where do you want to be 5 years 10 years from now ?
Do you want a column on forbes?
I need something to chase after to make the journey enjoyable
If you are happy to write not earn a dime and that is fine.
But it is usually the people having fun that end up achieving the most.
Because you are aiming to hit your goals indirectly.
And that is when opportunity smacks you .
When you least expect it.
There are no rules assuring success .
Remember focus and dedication are the rules to abide by not being “serious.”
Being serious does not mean you are consistent.
But you can wind up burnt out.
Further more it takes years to develope the skills needed.
Be patient and appreciative of what you do.
I am sure Stephen King didn’t get to be where he is overnight.
Do not be in a rush .
Stay focused.
Play the game long term.
The main thing is to stay focused .
As time goes on you will mature too.
Most importantlyou have to allow yourself to be creative.
Do not think for perfection though.
I think striving for perfection takes away from the fun.
And when you are not having fun chances are that you will not blossom
The objective is to write and enjoy other otherwise there is no use in writing.
You are not writing an essay in school where you arev getting graded.
Your readers grade you and most times you will find that people are forgiving especially in the the blogging arena.
Do people comment on blog post ….yes.
Are some of the comments harsh, yes depending on your niche.
keep in mind people tend to criticize your opinion and not the quality of your content .
So it is for forgiving in that sense.
But you still cannot take people for granted.
Yes produe easily scannable content.
Write to where people can trust your vibe.
Yo do not have to be a major figure head or to be popular to make headway.
Stay disciplined and focused on your craft.
When you are focused and clearly disciplined and have clear defined goals you will improve.
Do not allow yourself to be confined by doubt and fear.
Free your mind because you need to be in a good space space.
Mindset and understanding is essential.
So pick up the note pad and write.
Writing is a form of excercise.
You have to work those memory muscles.
Soon enough it will come like first nature.
Keep writing and keep learning.
Writing is an art .
And ther is no limit to the art.
The onus is on you to execute.
We all are unique in formatting and documenting.
Embrace your style because it is unique.
No one can craft and produce like you.
Trust yourself.
And when you do get frustrated ,step back, take a deep breath before you go back at it again.
Make the pen your friend not your enemy.
Start falling in love with the process .
Stop comparing yourself trying to compete .
Be you.
Write to the best of your ability.
As I long as you understand the basics of the art you are good to go.
There is no use in trying to apply fancy techniques if you are not applying yourself on a basic level.
Because all you are doing is confusing yourself
- Limiting yourself
- Stifling your growth
Now lets jump in to my tips
Fast forward to this day and age of digital transformation and you will see that we consume information diiferently.
People want solutions and entertainment and content marketing is the channel.
The good news is that you do not have to be a copywriter to be successful in the game.
But You have to pick up a skillset and apply yourself.
Let’s Dive into to my point checklist
- Get creative
Fling the box away,cast away your doubt and fears and tap into your artistic side.
Some of your ideas might sound out far at first but after you start writing things will change.
Those so called ” bad ideas” can turn out to be your best yet. Trust the creative side that exists in you.
- Stay focused
You can achieve your goals as long as you exercise patience and have a strong desire to see your vision through.
- Stop comparing yourself
You pour sweat and tears into what you do so give yourself credit. When you fall into the trap of comparing your writing style too others you can easily get trapped and lose love for what you do.
Moreover making comparisons is misleading because your goals are different from the others .
Plus your skills ,personality is unique, therefore, you have to maximize your ability because it cannot be duplicated.
- Allocate time for writing without the distractions
If you know that your schedule allows for one post per week, do not make other plans unless you have evidence suggesting you do otherwise.
Make sure that you choose a time slot that is flexible with the least distractions possible.
Maybe before work, after work, or some time during the weekend. Just make sure that your schedule is open and free.
- Writing is therapeutic
After Having a long stressful week at work some people head to the bar to unwind.
Instead of going to the bar there are people like myself that write once per week no matter how long my day has been.
In doing so, I get to learn and release the stress by doing what I love whilst improving upon my writing skills
So it is a win-win situation for me.
And only you can tell Your story.
Your story is uniques and doesn’t have to be memorized because you live it on a daily basis.
I am not saying that people genuinely care about your story; my point is that it can be used as a stepping stone to motivate those that are willing to listen.
When your narrative hits home peoples lives can be changed, your name gets spread like wild wildfire and when that happens you might just get calls to make guest appearances on television shows podcast or magazines.
I have yet to collaborate with any .
However I have built a few relation ships with bloggers.
The objective of collaborating is to make a fair exchange, you give some value, in return, you get to leverage their audience to help boost and advertise your skills
- Thick skin
You need to have thick skin in this game because you will be on the receiving end of some harsh criticism some times.
This message is a friedndly reminder to new comers and veterans alike .
- Don’t take it seriouseriously
Coming up with ideas to write about, posting, upgrading, optimizing websites is stressful.
The good news is that you can outsource certain task so that you can focus more on writing.
But it is good to know your strengths and weakness to help you get more balance out of your writing.
I know that what I am about to say might sound uncommon ” but don’t set high expectations.”
- Find your sweet spot
What is it that inspires you to want to write?
A ritual ?
A song?
I read Darren Rowse blog and I must say that I love his writing style .He inspires me.
Reading his post makes me feel as if I am I am listening to him live .
What I learned from Darren is to write on an intimate level with my readers.
- Give yourself the benefit of the doubt
Some of my drafts look ugly at first before I put the final touches on them .
when I see things I do not like I edit them out before posting .
That is what I call tuning up my draft .
whenever I try to edit and write at the same time I sometimes stifle progress.
- Freestyle
Sometimes you might get advice like
- Do what you love
- Establish your voice
- Find your niche
Those pointers come in handy but I want to show you another way to make the writing experience memorable.
You see how a musician uses the keys on the piano or how a singer pitches notes.
As blogger you have the power to paint narratives and tap into your readers emotions .
People use wordplay to woo their audience.
What I am saying is that you can use words to evoke emotions into your readers at will.
Let me give you a hypothetical example.
Larry ran pass Timothy like he was standing still
Or
Larry flew pass Timothy like flash.
Which sentence stood out to you ?
NowTo Conclude this post
At the end of it all, you have a unique perspective so therefore you must learn to trust your ability with the pen.
Good authors establish themselves over-time, they find ways to innovate, evolve and fight through their moments of doubt.
You can create a spark with a pen.
And last of all.
Time doesn’t wait for anyone, so if you are reading this post and you haven’t started writing yet feel free to jump on board if you have the desire to do so.
If you are are a seasoned writer reading this post reach out let’s connect so that we can hold each other accountable and motivate others around us.
What techniques do you use as a writer?
How long have you been writing?
Make some noise for me in the comment section. Thanks !