Articles Comments

The Writer's Compass » The Writer's Life, Featured » Living a Writer’s Life

Living a Writer’s Life

Mapping Your Life as a Writer

 

What does it mean to you to become a writer? At what point will you feel like a writer? What will being a writer look like in your everyday world? Chapter 11 discusses what living as a writer means including:

  • 9 Qualities of Successful Writers
  • Do you need talent or luck?
  • Effective Networking
  • Do you need a writer’s group?
  • Entering Writing Competitions
  • Setting Goals that Make Sense
  • Combining Writing with Another Career
  • Quality Writing

Can I Make it As a Writer or Am I Wasting My Time?

The only thing that will stop you is you. Even bad writers have successful writing careers because they don’t give up and they stick with it.

Most often the turning point in your writing career will come at an unexpected time from an unexpected source. However, knowing how to write, writing, having your material prepared, or knowing enough and having the skills to get material ready for a quick turnaround will make you available when unexpected opportunities appear.

How do you know what is the right opportunity? You don’t always know. You just keep forging ahead with your goal in mind. If your goal is to find an audience, then learn to tell the best story you can and find the venue that will help you reach an audience who will appreciate your work. People who don’t appreciate your work are not your audience. Sometimes a small audience can be as satisfying as a large audience when you know that you have made an impact on an individual.

Forget the money—the average creative writer doesn’t make enough to live “comfortably” anyway. If you want to write, write because you have something to say and because you want to make an impression on someone else’s life. Write because you are the only one who can tell this story in just this way. Write for the love of being a storyteller.

 

Written by

Filed under: The Writer's Life, Featured · Tags: , , , ,