Many people want to become writers. We have all read amazing stories that moved us so deeply that we wanted to give the gift of that feeling to someone else through our original stories. Being of that generation, I will never forget the first time I read Harry Potter as a kid. It was fascinating in every sense. Once I have passed the thrilling plot and the amazing characters I became absolutely smitten on how one person can create a rich world. I am still waiting for my Owl of invitation to Hogwarts. Now that I`m older a bit and a corporate man mainly, I find myself moved to make financial moves, invest, or to get a new piece of tech because of amazing and thought-provoking articles I read. All of this combined made me want to write so I can help and inspire other people as someone inspired me!
For all of you who have the itch to tell a story or share your knowledge here are some tips to become a professional writer.
Get with the times
Writers today need to have knowledge of many things to be competitive and above average. You will need good research skills, knowledge of keywords and search engine optimization, post analysis and basic word press skills and much more. You need all this knowledge to have a few writing gigs that “pay the bills” while you work on your passion project, for me a screenplay for example. Many modern writers also take tips on best writing practices from assignment help agencies such as https://assignmenthelpers.com.au/. These agencies provide professional writing services and you can check out first-hand how a professionally written article should look and feel.
Tech up
We already mentioned how modern times and technology have changed the very definition of the word writer. Skills and knowledge that writers need to have are heavily intertwined with the digital tools and the internet. The technological boom also made the lives of writers easier by having many useful tools and applications that can help out. Every aspect of writing from spelling and grammar to essay and plot generators can be found. There are so many editing tools out there that are absolutely unacceptable to submit anything that is not, at least, technically flawless. You should invest some time and money to find the tools that most suit you and utilize them in your everyday writing.
Read more
Now for a traditional method. Reading will make you a better writer, this is a fact. You will see from the old masters (or the current ones) how to structure your sentences, how to put words together to be engaging yet not too difficult to follow. The bonus is that reading is incredibly fun and you will go on many adventures and become an overall more cultured and worldly person through this experience. While taking tips and tricks from this writing giants you will start to find some things that you would maybe say differently and that is the first step in finding your own voice and style.
Get busy writing
As Billy Crystal in the famous “Throw Mama from the train” says: “A writers writes, always”. You should put your new knowledge and tools to good use and make some money while doing it. There are many freelancing platforms for writers to find work and you can make a start even as an absolute beginner. Once you get a few articles under your belt, review them, re-read them and see what can be improved upon. Always work on improving your skills. In addition to this, you will start to notice that most of your stuff sounds and feels similar. That is your own unique style and twist on things and that is the thing that will get you an audience and repeat clients. It should go without saying but just to mention, always be respectful of set deadlines and maintain a professional attitude towards your clients.
Take a class
With all tips and tricks available online today, there is still nothing better than taking a class. There are several reasons why but a class will have a structured approach to the material, a professional and knowledgeable professor and best of all classmates. I say that classmates are best of all because during the course of the class you will have writing assignments. You will have discussions and here work with other people of similar knowledge level as yourself and you will be able to share opinions and give and receive feedback. Hearing something like this can point out some things you would change or improve that you might have missed on your own. You might get some amazing friends along the way as a bonus.
Writing is an honorable calling. It is about finding the right words that will have your readers glued to their favorite chairs in anticipation of what will happen on the next page. I personally salute anyone who wishes to pursue a career in writing. There are many benefits such as flexible working hours and the ability to work from almost any place you want. The absolute joy of it is to have an impact on someone with your words that makes them take action. Tone and craft your skills carefully and never stop improving so that each piece you write be better than your last!