The 5 pieces of advice I always give writers
I love writers. I love their capacity to suspend disbelief and to work in an industry built on such changeable foundations. I love the tension between creativity and commerce. I love that writers can mould their own careers, built around their own interests and ideas. It can be crushingly challenging - endless rejection, snarky comments and the monotony of creation takes it’s toll. It’s also a privilege to do the work, to have people read it and to be working in this golden age for content creators.
As we all know, writing well isn’t enough. If you’re striving to create a writing career that both feeds your soul and funds your life, you’ll need entrepreneurial smarts too.
Having strategized with writers at every stage of their careers, there are a couple of tips that I keep repeating. These are my greatest hits, the advice that I share with every writer regardless of their goal.
Create a simple writing practice. Writers write. It’s as simple and as difficult as that. If you want to produce high quality, consistent work, you need to get in the habit of writing (even when it’s hard/boring/upsetting/exhausting). A few simple rituals can help you build a writing habit. I get some water, light a candle, open a blank document (or journal page) and write. Others write in cafes or curled up in bed. Still others dictate their work, and have it transcribed. Don’t let yourself be overly precious about it - the perfect circumstances don’t exist. Start a small, simple writing practice, say twice a week and build on it.
Unplug the internet. It’s amazing how much you can get done if you stay off the internet. It’s equally amazing how difficult it is to stay off the internet. On my best days, I check in online in the morning, empty my inbox in the afternoon and stay out of the internet’s noisy chatterbox the rest of the time. Wandering is part of creation, but the internet is built to distract you. Books, walks or real world conversations are better breaks for me when I write. That said, my work lives online so I need to spend some time there researching stories, connecting with readers and you know, wandering around. But, I try to limit it to afternoons/evenings. Freedom is a great program to make this easier, or just unplug your router.
Get your stuff online. So much of the writing, publishing and media industries exist in the online space. If you’re not there too, you’re placing a major handicap on your work. A simple wordpress site is all you need to share a brief bio and portfolio of your work. If you don’t want a blog, sharing occasional posts on Medium is a great alternative.
Your life can be your muse. “I don’t know where to start” is a frequent problem for budding writers. I say: start with what you have to say today. Your life is your muse. Every life is interesting. Or answer the question: If I could write about anything, I’d write about _____. Sometimes, I imagine myself addressing a crowd of kind, influential people and ask myself: “What do you want them to know?” (I’m working on a GIANT list of writing prompts which I’ll share soon too.)
Be patient. Writing is a business, but it’s also a craft. Put in your 10,000 hours. Give yourself time to get good. There will be hard times, but the struggle is valuable too. The most successful writers I know love to write. They enjoy the process of it, even if their work was never read. It’s not about being lauded or financially rewarded (though those things are also important); it’s about self-expression, mastery and dedication. In this internet age, it’s easy to look at other writers and envy their success. But you don’t necessarily see the invisible work that brought them to this point. Focus on doing your best work today, share it with the world and show up tomorrow to do it again.
To your writing journey,
Clare x
