Apr 01 2009
What I Learnt Being a Writer
Being a writing is an amazing and ever changing profession. Writers are constantly learning, their skills go beyond putting pretty words on paper to give readers a clear picture but they also need to have other very important skills in order to survive in the highly competitive arena.
Patience – when you are waiting for editors, interviewees and sources to get back to you, sometimes you are ready to pull your hair out. But relax, give them a time frame that you need the information and follow up immediately if you haven’t received it. Remember to give yourself some extra time in case of emergency. No use in leaving it all to the last minute and then stressing out about it.
Perseverance – you’ve been writing, editing, sending out queries, receiving rejections and sending them out again. Or maybe that novel you finished last year still hasn’t found it’s home, you keep on sending it out with faith that someone will pick it up. Sixteen years of writing and many rejections among the acceptances has not stopped me from writing and sending out my work. The only failure I know is giving up, so I persevere.
Research Skills – it doesn’t matter whether you’re writing a novel, article or short story, most of the time writers need a good amount of research skills (unless you can afford a research assistant) we can not go without them, even if it’s just trying to research a market we want to submit our story to.
Discipline – if you don’t have self discipline no one else is going to make you sit down at the computer and write. Whether you’re ideas are flowing like water from the tap or they are straining to swim through the garbage heap you need the self discipline to keep going.
Self marketing – if you don’t do it, no one else will either. It’s the only way you are going to get anywhere. You need to be able to sell yourself and your writing. It’s critical to your success. Be proud of being a writer, reply on other writers blogs, send out queries, letters of introductions and enter competitions. Get yourself noticed.
Do you have these skills? Are you constantly working on improving them?
Great post on writing and I really adhere to the perseverance. It’s all about challenging yourself and never giving up.
what kind of writing do you do (asides from the blog)?
Articles, short stories, essays and more. Currently I’m working on finishing writing a novel and brainstorming some ideas for a non fiction book related to my job as a TEFL teacher.
And how about you?