How to Become a Successful Writer
Words are the colors that will bring to life your blank canvas..
While there are many writers that live to write because this is their passion, it is unfortunate that only a limited amount of them will write to live, successfully turning their passion into a profession. Why is that? More often than not, successful writers come from a mix of being blessed with great writing skills along with a good dose of luck. The field is pretty competitive, so it really takes a good amount of talent to stick out from the crowd along with the fortunate event of being noticed by somebody that can give you the opportunity of a lifetime: doing what you love the best and making a living out of it.
Artists, writers and poets have often been associated with the image of creative, almost extravagant beings with artistic talents but more often than not, holes in their pockets. While this image belongs mostly to the past, it is ultimately true however, that the road to success is arduous and therefore, many writers with good potential are forced to give up because they must invest a great amount of their time, making an earning outside of their writing world.
Most writers. therefore, remain hobby writers, those that resume to their writing activities when they have a moment of relief from their ordinary demanding jobs. This leaves little space for improvement and often along comes that frustration deriving from the fact that they are virtually unable to find a quite moment or sit down, reflect and write as they would hope to.
Successful writers therefore, must be either 1) lucky enough to have someway attained in some way financial freedom or having the luck of being supported by a wealthy family member, or 2) they must be retired with all the time to write on hand or 3) they must resort to write at the oddest hours after work often meaning jolting down thoughts up until 3 AM in the morning and filing their week ends exclusively doing what they enjoy best.
While writing indeed is a time consuming process that requires lots of time and dedication, there are however, several passive ''ways'' to improve their writing capabilities and boost their knowledge of words. Following are some tips especially crafted for those on a time constraint struggling between working a full time job and dedicating time to their favorite hobby.
-Read a lot
Behind a good writer there is an avid reader. Reading indeed exposes the writer to different writing styles and writing techniques. It is very interesting absorbing other writer's thoughts and the way they express them. Reading keeps mind open, elicits creativity and gets those writing juices flowing.
- Word Power
Collect your Dictionary friend, open a random page and take a peak at the list of words on that page. Just as paint brushes and a canvas are the tools of the artist, words are the tools of the writer. Words give images to objects, feelings and thoughts. The more varied your vocabulary the more you have to offer as a writer. You want to keep your reader entertained by your colorful language and your effective strategy in depicting scenarios on your blank canvas.
-Enter Contests
There are various writing contests available today and only through these contests you get ot get a ''feel'' of how competitive the writing field is! Do not get discouraged if you do not rank in the top three position, rather, take this as an opportunity to learn more about what makes the top ranking writers reach such stratospheric rankings. Writing tp the next level, as any other profession, takes some apprenticeship, it will not happen happen overnight!
-Proof Read
Always proof read your articles for grammatical errors and typos. Great writers are often penalized by writing sloppy. It is a shame sometimes to read a book and to find a typo that ruins the slightly taints the reputation of the writer ad editor of the book. Read your article 3-4 times out loud or put it away in a drawer an read again the next day on an open mind. You may notice something that may be better off changed.
-Cater to your passion
Write about what you are passionate about: most readers will feel the special energy that will flow upon reading your article. Passion can turn an article into something really special because behind the article there is motivation, love and appreciation. Writing about something out of your expertise or something that does not interest you may become a tedious job and very likely the reader will feel it.
-Volunteer
Sometimes you must volunteer to offer some of your articles for free for some local magazines or on-line sources. Introduce yourself to a small magazine and ask them if you can write a short article for them free of charge, as long as they will include your name and protect your copyrights. This is a great place to start and a good reference for future writing jobs.
-Be Determinant
Perhaps this is the most challenging factor to consider when deciding to become an above average writer. Many writers write for a bit and then give up altogether when they notice that they are not obtaining the success or the earnings expected. It cannot be repeated enough that writing is an art and that it takes time to master. While many writers have the talent to write deep in the core of their genetic makeup, many times it takes much more than talent to make it to the top.
Being a successful writer takes time, determination and yes, some courage. If you are really passionate about writing a day may come where you realize that you are beginning to stand out more and getting a lot more accomplished. This is when writing becomes rewarding, you may still not be more successful than seasoned writers but you may be finally on the right path to live to write and write to live.
