Writing is an important skill required in nearly all professions. After all, writing is one powerful medium that evolves our critical thinking skills. Though we write every day in texts, emails, social media posts, we don’t become writers. Professional writing requires a specific skill set and experience level. Like many other professions, writing is not everyone’s forte. If you want to become a good writer, you will need to work hard for it.
If you want to turn writing into a lucrative, full-time career, you’ll need to choose your niche. You can be a medical writer, technical writer, creative writer, business writer, legal writer, or scriptwriter. Although so many options open doors to various opportunities, you must make your decision wisely. Each writing type requires a different skillset and experience. These things will help you excel in your writing career irrespective of which approach you have chosen.
You will need to take specific steps to go down this career road—some of which we have mentioned below.
- Earn a degree
Education has become vital in this modern competitive era. No matter what career you are willing to pursue, having a degree can do wonders for you. The case for professional writers is similar.
There are plenty of graduate and online undergraduate degrees that will thoroughly help you with your writing skills and prepare you for your writing career. For instance, an online communication degree can help you understand the basics of grammar, language, and style. You will be taught to write for various means, including blogs, advertisements, TV, and social media. Apart from communication, a degree in literature, arts, and journalism will also prepare you to become a professional writer.
Besides focusing on developing your relevant skill set, colleges and universities also help find different internship opportunities. Internships give you a taste of the real world before you begin your life-long journey of professional writing. They also help you gain experience and figure out your area of expertise.
- Write!
If you want to become a good writer, then you need to write! It is undeniable. The more you write, the better you become at it. Try to write a little every day. These can include short excerpts or (as silly as it may sound) even a Facebook status or a tweet. Forcing yourself to write every day will help you realize whether you even enjoy writing or not.
Practice makes perfect! Once you start writing daily, you’ll notice you are progressing. Some ways to force yourself to write and improve include starting to frequently write emails, messages, or letters to your friends and family. You can also commit to writing a certain number of words daily, either in short stories, excerpts, or journal writing. But before you force yourself into writing and even before you take admission in a writing program, make sure you are only doing so out of your interest. If you are not interested, you’ll be uselessly wasting your time and money. Enroll in an online workshop or start writing blogs to determine your level of interest professional writing contains.
Once you are sure of your ability and capability to write, start penning down your thoughts. The more you write, the quicker you’ll get the hang of the process.
- Start reading
You might have heard that ‘reading improves your writing skills’ very often. And it is true. All professional writers are avid readers. Statistics say, on average, a professional writer reads at least 100 books in a year.
Reading teaches you the techniques and methods of high-quality writing that you can execute in your writings. It teaches you the crux of storytelling and can improve your stylistic and symbolic approach. Reading is also something that inspires you, gives ideas, and draws up your ambition to write. But most importantly, the reading tells you what the audience/readers want.
- Build your portfolio
Having an impressive writing portfolio is imperative to begin a writing career. It shows your potential employer your interests, experience, and expertise. Put down any of your published work or writing projects you might have done in school and university in your portfolio. Consider adding different content types to your portfolio. You can start freelance ghost publications, personal blogs, and press releases to add variety.
The more significant experience you carry, the higher your chances of employment will be. Try to be communicative and reach out to other bloggers and publishers to get some work. Use the internet to expand your connections and make a solid portfolio that will be irresistible for any employer to ignore!
Conclusion
Writing is a task that comes with many benefits, such as a massive amount of appreciation, fan following, and a handsome income. However, like every other profession, there are also shortcomings in becoming a writer. Writing is a very spontaneous job. If you are doing it professionally, forced writing won’t do much good. Sometimes, you will need to give yourself a break to get back on track.
