Maintaining Your Identity as a Writer
May 13th, 2009 Posted in Freelancing
So many of us embark on writing careers only to find that they work we are doing begins to define us. In a perfect world, however, you as a writer will instead inject life into your work. You maintain control at all times. In the beginning you may find yourself feeling a bit insecure about your work. That’s OK - it’s completely normal - but it’s something you need to get over as well.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- The more you write, the better you’ll get at it. The same thing happened when you were born and began learning how to talk. You didn’t have a full vocabulary from the start - it had to develop and grow. The same thing will happen with your writing skills.
- It is perfectly OK to find inspiration from other sources as long as you don’t allow that source of inspiration to control you. There’s a fine line between copying an idea and merely using it to create a new one.
- You have a million ideas and need to get them onto paper (or into your computer). As such, allow yourself to put grammar and structure aside for a while so that you can get your ideas out. Your ideas are more important than compound sentences and commas.
- I’ve participated in National Novel Writing Month a few times now and the most important thing I’ve taken away each time is the importance of writing without stopping. Write - just write - do not stop to edit. Editing can (and will) happen later.
- Don’t be afraid to say NO. Don’t take on extra projects if you’re too busy. Don’t let your family take advantage of the fact that you are working at home. Yes - your work is still work and it’s just as important as anything you would have done in an office. Make sure your family and friends understand that the fact you are working from home does not mean you are now available to them 24/7.
Starting a freelance writing career can be difficult (albeit a bit scary) at first. Take the time to address your fears and before you know it you’ll be churning out 10,000 words a day without giving your past insecurities a second thought!