Being a writer requires time, devotion, passion and skill.
For aspiring writers and those who have just started, becoming the writer you always wanted to be is a big challenge.
There are times when you would end up asking yourself if you can really do this or if you are good enough to write.
This is completely normal.
Even the most prolific writers experience problems like these, and you don’t establish your identity as a writer in one shot.
1. Trust Yourself and Just Write
The most successful writers can only give you their own formulas for success. The same thing goes when you’re writing a particular kind of content. Whether it’s a simple essay, a short story or a novel, there is a lot of information telling you to write in this manner, do this and do that.
More often than not, you doubt whether you can possibly write something significant, especially when what you’re doing is different from what others are doing. But always keep in mind that each person is unique in his own thoughts and ideas.
Trust in yourself and just keep on writing. Keep in mind that you write to express yourself and to share your ideas with your readers.
2. Allot Time For Writing
You can never find an excellent writer who succeeded overnight. Apart from talent, writing is also a skill you must continuously hone and develop. Just as artists hone their craft, you need to practice.
It is essential that you take time to practice and to write. When you allot time for writing, you develop certain skills that are essential for writers like the ability to think fast, brainstorm ideas effectively, organize your thoughts, etc.
3. Proofread Your Work
It is never a bad thing to read through your work. Just don’t overdo it so you end up removing almost everything you wrote, because you feel writing it was a mistake.
Keep in mind that the goal is not to identify what is right or wrong with your writing. What you want to know is if you are able to express what you wanted to share with your readers.
4. Accept Constructive Criticism
All of the most highly acclaimed written works went through a lot of editing and some even experienced numerous rejections. This is the flow and the process that most writers have to experience before their works are published.
So, never be afraid to take criticism and even rejection. You can learn so many things about your work from other people especially if the person reviewing your work is also a writer.
It is much easier to see what parts need to be changed or what needs to be removed. After a work has undergone a series of proofreads and edits, the best version of your work emerges.
5. Put Aside Your Fears
To write effectively, you have to set aside your fears. This problem comes when you have too many doubts and fears about your writing skills or even if your ideas are worth writing about.
But when you finally learn to let go of your inhibitions, you have freedom to explore your thoughts and to write anything you want without having self-doubts about it.
Set aside your fears and let your ideas bloom and your thoughts wander. It is only when you finally cast away your fears that you get to tap your creative potential as a writer — you find out what it really means to be a writer.
6. Set Your Goals
All good writers set goals. Prior to writing, you have to know what your purpose and your objectives are. What is it that you want to achieve? What is your goal in writing a particular piece?
Setting straight and clear goals is a great motivational force. They serve as blueprint when you write as you can compare if what you are writing serves your purpose and your goal.
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All of these are just some of the tips you can apply in order to become the writer you have always wanted to be. Yet at the end of the day, every writer must establish his own identity and his own formula of success.
Just keep on writing and never doubt if you can become a prolific writer or achieve the status of your revered writers. The greatest writers didn’t emerge overnight. It took years for them to get to the place you’re aiming for.
(Photo by Doug Robichaud / CC BY)
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