MY WRITING JOURNEY

It’s been a while since I was last here, but with good reason. I’ve been working on a personal project that was like a treasure to me – writing and publishing my first novel! You must have already seen the digital version of Bonds Borne of Adversity – it was available from mid February this year, on Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble and various other platforms.

Getting to that point of publishing the book and also working on the print version of it was a journey in itself. It was a journey that opened my eyes to comprehend the extent of the gift I possess and what I can do with it. I also discovered the sufficiency of God’s grace when I trusted Him to help me with this project as it was something I was launching into for the first time. Writing a novel is definitely different from writing an essay or article on any subject.  

But this journey was part of a bigger, longer writing journey that started way back in my younger days. I have shared the journey on CLC Kenya’s platform for African Christian Authors. Click HERE to read it in full, and please let me know what your comments are, or whether you are inspired by my writing journey in any way.

A WRITER NEEDS TO BE A GOOD WORDSMITH

One of the keys to writing a good piece is the writer’s ability to affect or provoke the readers’ emotions. Consider, for instance, the choice between writing ‘her eyes brimmed with tears’ or ‘her eyes suddenly moistened’. Which one would you use? Which choice of words would provoke feelings the most?

A good writer has to learn how to be a good wordsmith. The dictionary definition of a wordsmith is simply a skilled user of words, a skilful writer, or a person who works with words. Think of a carpenter in a workshop or a sculptor bent over a mound of clay; both of them have something raw to work on and turn it into an artful end-product that will attract buyers. In the same way a writer has some raw material in the form of ideas, phrases, sentences and researched information to work on and translate into an article, book, magazine, etc. The skilfulness with which this is done contributes to the ‘wordsmithness’ of the writer!

Being a good wordsmith means knowing how to choose the right words and craft them into an unforgettable narration that lingers on the pages of time. It may be a book that people will love to read or a blog where followers keep asking for more content. It could also be a landing page whose words attract many visitors because of the way the content is crafted. Whatever the end-product is, every writer must find a way of becoming the go-to wordsmith whom every kid on the block will be looking for because of their unusual skill.

So, how do you become a good wordsmith?

1. Be an avid reader of whatever content is typical in your field of writing:

For instance, if you write for a magazine then you should read a lot of magazines, and if you write stories then you should make time for reading story books. This should be a lifestyle for you rather than something you do only when faced with a writing project.

 2. Practice regularly:

The more writing you do on a regular basis the better you become at it. Practice always makes perfect! No matter how good a writer you have become so far, the regular exercise of this skill helps to keep it in perfect condition just like what physical exercise does to the human body.

3. Become the best rival of Grammarly!

Do you know how many people use Grammarly to assist their writing? It tells you the number of people who are not confident about their ability to produce good grammar on their own, right? One of the keys to being considered a good wordsmith in any field is having excellent grammar in your writing. If you can develop this particular aspect of your writing skill to a level where you don’t need to use a helping tool then you are a great wordsmith!

4. Develop your creativity

Creativity is the key to standing out amongst many other wordsmiths. There are so many good writers to compete with out there that sometimes the only way to be singled out is to show that you have something special or unusual that others don’t. Keep your creativity to a maximum, not minimum.

AS A FREELANCE WRITER, DO YOU NEED YOUR OWN WEBSITE?

One of the best things about being a freelance writer is that you get to make your own choices and decisions about how to run your business. You are an independent contractor who chooses the time and place of work without having to adhere to someone else’s standards. As such, most of the business decisions that would normally be put through a bureaucracy of meetings, deliberations, reports and signatures can be made faster and more easily by one person.

Among the many business decisions you will get to make is the one about whether to have a freelance writing website or not. I would love to say that there are pros and cons to it, but the truth is, I can hardly think of any disadvantage to having your own website in business. The only thing is to ensure you are ready for it – don’t jump into it without forethought, especially if you have just started out as a freelancer. A good website demands serious, relevant content and if you start without having this you will get very disappointed.

A website is a very important tool for any business, even if you are not an online business. It’s a marketing tool that offers a variety of ways to make your business more visible to the online community. Imagine being able to market yourself to an audience that has never heard about you before but has the potential to make your business grow faster if only they knew about your services! It’s a versatile tool that allows you to advertise your services, generate sales, track your clients, communicate with potential clients and collect statistics, all in one place. When used well, a website can give you a lot of mileage in growing and expanding your business.

As a freelance writer you will need to have a website at some point on your growth plan. The exact timing for setting it up is really at your discretion but ensure that you are ready for it. Having a freelance writing website is a responsibility. You must be able to update it as often as possible so that the plugins and pages are working well. You must be able to provide your visitors with relevant content that answers their questions or meets their needs. Your visitors must be given a reason to return for more content and to keep following you on your social media handles. You must also adhere to all required international standards and policies for operating a website. These are just a few of the responsibilities that go with running a website.

Of course you can always get someone to do everything for you – from hosting to web design and technical support for the site. Again, the choice is yours whether you want to do everything yourself or outsource to another company or individual with more experience. It all depends on what will work best for you in the long run.

The Reading Writer (II)

Previously, I wrote about the various ways in which reading helps the writer (see “Reading Writer” under the category Improve Your Writing Skills) and looked at four benefits or advantages. This time I would like to focus on how to make the reading habit a permanent part of your lifestyle as a writer.

You see, it’s very easy to keep telling writers that they must read often in order to become better at their craft but this can be a tricky thing for some. Many writers are faced with deadlines to write copy or pressure to produce a certain number of articles that sometimes it’s hard to slot in reading of books, journals, magazines or other writers’ articles. This is especially so for the large number of writers who do it for a living as their main source of income. Besides, reading doesn’t come easily for everyone and so it takes real effort and commitment to inculcate it as a daily or even weekly activity, for example.

I, myself, have made it a goal to read at least one book every month, not necessarily in my field. However, it is a goal that I have to keep reminding myself to fulfill and sometimes it gets tricky when I do not have extra money to buy a new book. Borrowing is an option, of course, but that usually means I am limited to what is available with friends as opposed to what I feel I need to read (in any case, I prefer to own books, not borrow them). Your own case is probably different from mine but whatever your struggle is with getting to read regularly, I would like to offer you some suggestions that can help.

Here are five:

1. Cultivate a love for books
You may be asking, “How do I cultivate a love for books?” Well, the same way you would do it for a person. What are the factors that commonly lead to falling in love? One of them is spending a lot of time with that person, listening to them and enjoying their company. Spend time with the few books that you have, if you do, or buy one or two to start with. Read a chapter in the morning and another in the evening. Go to the library once a week and browse or search for something interesting to borrow. Attend the annual book fair (if it hasn’t happened yet) and visit every stand, talking to authors and publishers alike.

In simple language, go out of your way to acquaint yourself with the world of books. This is something you have to do consistently and consciously as there is no magic for it.

2. Set a reading goal
…and please stick to it, no matter what!
You could copy me and start with reading one book per month, or set a goal that fits in with your own schedule. Just make sure you are not over- ambitious (five books a month may be a bit too much) nor should you aim too low. By the way, it doesn’t have to be books only – feel free to pursue other reading materials like magazines. The key is to have a focus (the goal) and be consistent over time. Goals have a way of making us more focused and purposeful in what we are doing, both of which are essential for getting desired results.

 

3. Join a book club
There are plenty of online and offline book clubs where you could get to further nurture this new pursuit. You will find people to exchange notes with, discuss difficulties, discover new books to read and generally become more exposed to the world of reading. Some book clubs even have their own libraries from which members can borrow books that they may not be able to afford to buy.

 

4. Spend time with people who love to read
Enthusiasm is one thing that tends to rub off very easily! The more you hang around book lovers, who are enthusiastic about what they do, the more likely you will become like them, little by little.

I know this is related to point 3 above but it doesn’t have to be a formal club; it could be just a single friend who enjoys reading as a pastime and you could agree to be reading together once in a while. Sometimes it helps just to have near you someone who does the same things you do for motivation purposes.

 

5. Build a private library

This is something I plan to do in the long-term, not just for me but also for my children in future. You can do the same too, little by little, with the literature you buy regularly. The advantage is that you have a 24/7 domestic resource center with a variety of literature to suit various needs, e.g. journals for research, novels for leisure, etc. Make sure the room for the library is well-designed with comfortable chairs and cushions as well as a reading desk and proper lighting. This goes towards providing an incentive to be there for long periods of time.

 

Well, these are action points that you can implement easily and become a Reading Writer. Let me know how it works for you or if you think of something else that can help.

Sincerely,

Edna.

Related articles

• Reading. (imustwritenow.wordpress.com)
• Mother Daughter Book Club and Giveaway (mommadjane.com)
• Conversations With Myself: An Author’s Guide to Writing Reading Group Guides (themillions.com)
• Books With 140 Characters, a Twitter book club with (now) 65,045 members (nextlevelofnews.com)
• How to Start Your Own Book Club (redenvelope.com)
• Summer Read – “It’s a mystery to me.” (sillyfrogsusan.wordpress.com)

Developing your writing skills: self-improvement for writers.

How many of us take time out of our busy writing schedules to focus specifically on improving our ability to write?

I called a friend of mine recently (we share the same writing passion) to pass on some vital information and after the usual chit-chat I asked him what he was doing at that particular time. It was a Saturday morning. He told me that he had allocated that whole day for reading; reading articles, eBooks and stuff he had gotten from the internet to help sharpen his writing skills. I thought to myself, what a lovely idea, devoting a whole day to an activity that doesn’t involve writing but contributes to your writing career!

 

Do writers have to spend all their waking hours scribbling or typing away till their fingers ache? I don’t think so. I believe there is a place for investing in self-improvement to become even more productive. Take some time off your routine writing and think about activities you can engage in to make you a better writer. I know this may not be easy, especially for writers on contract or when you have a number of clients waiting but remember that your future as a writer depends on what you do today. The sum of activities and decisions made in your present are a good indication of future outcomes. Try to invest in your tomorrow today.

You may be asking, so what can I do to improve my writing skills?

For starters, ask yourself where you want to be in the next 2 – 5 years. What kind of a writer do you want to be? Are you likely to change what you are doing now, e.g. from writing articles for sale to writing your own books and publishing? The goals you have set for your writing career will determine what you need to do. However, there are those basic things that every writer must engage in to develop themselves further regardless of their particular interests. My favorite one is reading (I wrote an earlier post on this entitled The Reading Writer. You can find it in the archives). Another one is mentorship or being mentored.

Let’s talk about these items next time. For now, keep mulling over what you need to do to develop yourself as a writer.

All the best,

Edna.

Related articles

• Your Writer’s Image (hugs-and-chocolate.com)
• What Motivates You To Write? (ifihadaminutetospare.wordpress.com)
• i am a writer (thepolkadotpalace.wordpress.com)

Getting Started on Freelance Writing: 5 Things to Consider

Freelance writing is getting popular everyday! I can attest to that by the number of people turning to it on a full time basis, including me of course! The options available are vast, exciting, interesting and potentially very profitable. Thanks to the world getting smaller electronically and more technologically advanced, writers are sniffing out new opportunities for business.

Writing as a career is not a bread-and-butter issue, though. It requires a certain level of commitment, passion, discipline and diligence. You’ve got to work out a plan that clearly outlines what you will be doing, how, when and where. The plan should also include an estimate of your anticipated income and how you expect to earn it. Does that seem like a mountain? I hope not, but here are five primary things to consider first before launching into writing as a career:

1. Do you really want to write?

First of all, you need to be sure that you really want to write. Writing is work so you must be ready to carry the load every day or week depending on how often you need to write. Ask yourself questions like, how much passion do I have for writing? Is it just a past-time (hobby) or is there a cause for which I must write? It will be hard to make a career out of writing if your interest is half-hearted or limited. Although you will not become a guru overnight, you need to have a strong inner conviction that this is your line because that is what will keep you going during the hard times.

2. What kind of writing are you interested in?

There are various types of writing that you can engage in and the choice is yours. It all depends on individual skill, experience and interest. You need to define clearly what kind of writing you will engage in because opportunities are vast out there. Besides, some appear very lucrative at face value but can turn out to be a great challenge to implement.

Write a list of possibilities including the pros and cons of each. To help you do this better, do an online research on all the options available, e.g. copywriting, blogging, content writing, transcription services, writing for magazines, ghost writing, etc. Out of that list, pick two as a starting point. These should be the ones that are easy for you, especially the ones you have already started doing. For instance, you may already have a blog running or you have been writing short stories since high school days. This means you may have developed some level of skill in that area, which makes it easier for you to launch into it as a career.

3. Do you have what it takes?

A writing career is very demanding of personal time and effort. Most people don’t realize how long it takes to become an exceptional writer or one who is sought after by publishers. When you look at published authors during book signing events, for example, it seems as though they got their book out very easy but that is not so. They probably took a few years to write and then suffered a few rejections from editors and publishers first.

To make a career out of writing requires a lot of determination, self-belief and an ability to market your work. You must be able to build a brand and make it stand out so that clients choose your service over others. You will also need a high level of excellence that will make your clients keep coming back.

4. Does it make economic sense to you?

Never begin a new project without first counting the cost and evaluating what benefit it will bring. This applies to your writing career. It will effectively be a business for you so you need to sit down and work out the mathematics of it. How much will you be able to earn in, say, one month? Will that amount cover all your expenses? What about things like medical insurance? Will you be able to put something aside towards savings? This is just to ensure that you are being practical about things. Remember also that people will be asking you why you have chosen to be a writer (out of all the other possible careers in this world) and you will need to have a sound answer.

5. Basis of operation

Lastly, albeit very important point, determine your mode of operation. Will you rent an office somewhere or will you be working from the house? Of course, the latter would be a better option for someone who is just starting out because then you have fewer expenses to worry about. Consider also whether you will need to purchase a laptop or work from a cyber café, or borrow somebody’s machine to start with before you get your own.

A good plan for your freelance writing career is worth all the trouble. You will avoid many pitfalls that are common for newcomers in the field.