What does it mean to become a new writer daily? When I started writing, I was excited, invigorated, and terrified. The “newness” is what drove me to want to do better, learn more, and connect with other writers. I couldn’t wait to find new opportunities, hear about what others were doing, and find out about new techniques. I could taste the excitement. Some days it the experience sweet and others it was bitter.
That’s a normal part of the writing business, though. While we’re feeling exhilaration from becoming a new writer, there are still good and bad days.
We’re going to focus on the positive feelings, including:
- Feeling the constant inspiration to write.
- That deep-down yearning to write–almost like someone or something is trying to pull it out of you.
- You have secret dreams of writing and, if you’re already writing, you dream of broadening your horizons.
- You’re practicing all the time–even when you don’t feel like it, you’re writing and editing anyway.
- When you receive criticism, you say, “thank you,” each time you receive feedback.
- Writing in spurts becomes habitual.
- You also have the drive to write day-in and day-out because it’s about the work and not being perfect.
How Many Years Have You Been Writing?
Are you new to the game or starting your career? If you’re new, then it’s easy to become a new writer daily. You can approach your day with fresh eyes easier than someone like me who has been at this for twenty years. Even though I remember what it was like back then, it’s not the same. When you think about it, I have more experience as a freelance writer—but you may have more regarding becoming a new writer daily.
Why Does this Matter?
It’s easy to lose that excitement in this field. Some writers hold onto that excitement and passion throughout their careers, and I love seeing that. Others feel burned out and frustrated from the up’s and down’s they encounter. Every profession has these situations.
Forbes has an excellent article about this topic here:
The Mistake That Freelancers Know Not To Make (But Still Make Anyway)
Do You Have a Niche?
Now, think about when you started freelance writing. Did you want to write about a particular topic? That topic is your “niche” or “vertical.” If you didn’t become an expert in that niche, think about what’s stopping you.
- Have you become passionate about something else?
- Do you prefer writing about a variety of topics?
- Does your niche or vertical require additional education or certifications?
Why Does this Matter?
It’s not a requirement to become an expert in a topic to be a freelance writer. However, many recommend it as a way of preventing burnout from extensive researching.
CreativeVolt.com has an excellent article about niches here:
10 Insanely Profitable Freelance Writing Niches for 2019
How Often Do You Self-Edit?
Refining your work and self-editing must be part of your freelance writing routine. The bottom line is, you’ll submit better content when you self-edit. Create your first draft quickly and understand that it’s going to be rough. Go over it to fix all of the grammar, agreement, and spelling issues. Then, work with the draft again to ensure all of the research and citations are correct. Be prepared for your client to return the work with any revision requests.
In addition to self-editing and revision requests, performing industry analysis should also become habitual. The freelance writing market is continuously changing. The best way for staying on top of these changes is to know when they’re happening immediately instead of after the fact.
Why Does this Matter?
Think about this from a financial perspective. At the start of your writing career, you likely came across clients who wanted to offer you $5.00 for 1,000 words. While this was discouraging, it doesn’t have to be the case anymore. You’re honing your skills, learning about the industry, and continuously refining your work. Those low-paying gigs become a thing of the past as you build your confidence, become a competent writer, and understand your value.
FundsforWriters.com has an excellent article about avoiding “red flag clients” here:
Red Alert: 10 Signs You Should Avoid That Freelance Writing Client
What Does Any of These Things Have to do With Being “New”?
When you’re a “new” writer, feeling passionate about a topic is overwhelming. We’re brainstorming ideas, taking notes, researching angles, and targeting markets. That topic can sometimes lead to other niches, which encourages more activity — that desire to create trumps many other obligations or responsibilities.
It’s possible to bring back that eagerness.
There’s a fine line between, however, between perfectionism and wanting to develop optimized content. So, be aware of that. Self-editing is critical for submitting pieces of work meeting your client’s needs. You’re not going to be perfect, though. That’s impossible. Prepare for clients to request changes, or have other feedback.
Final Thoughts
Looking at your career from a fresh perspective, like that of a new writer, helps keep things in focus. You may want to redefine your goals, become an expert in a topic, or mentor new writers who are excited about entering this field. No matter how you approach this perspective, it’s a positive way of adding delight and enjoyment into your freelance writing career daily.