Find your why.

(2013) P.Lynne Designs

So you decided to become a writer.  Good, congrats on selecting a potentially profitable career.  I do not often talk about this area of writing, because most of my posts are for people who just want to put pen to paper, or as I call it, fingertips to keyboard, and write.  I cannot say that writing is an easy job to have, but look at it this way:  You are informing people of the knowledge you have on a subject, you are the escape master (creative writing), or you are an inspiration to people who may want to go in a line of work that you write about.  Sometimes you a little of all three.

Some days, I am just write for myself.  Just me and my blogs, trying to make a living.  When you first get started, you need supplement income.  After all, a girl’s got to eat, and still exist in this world.  Your bills are not going to stop because you decided to work for yourself.  For instance, I have two other businesses while I am establishing myself as a writer.  I am a custom paper crafter, where I make custom scrapbook albums, greeting cards, invitations, notebooks, and stationary sets, soon to break out to include planners.  I am also in direct selling as an Independent Longaberger^® Home Consultant, where I sell home products, such as baskets and pottery in a home or online party. Both of these jobs I find enjoyable most days, after all, it is what I asked for and are a few of my passions.   If you are looking for something to write about, write about your passion.  Do not just write it, for it may come across as forced and non-believable to your readers, but really show in your works that you truly have a passion for what you write about.  At the same time, do not come across as a know-it-all.  Do not be afraid to ask for help in areas of your passion.  You may learn something from the areas of your passion that you are the weakest at.

For instance, I just learned last week that there is a new crafting project called Pocket Letters.  It is a cool concept where crafters, especially those who paper craft (my specialty), form groups, and swap page protectors full of little trinkets or scrapbooking supplies, and encased within the items is a small note for the receiver to read.  I will have to research it further and write about it.  In other words, a review of a product or concept.  I also have to write about the new spring-summer catalog that just came out full of new and returning Longaberger products.  This is a form of advertising, to which I have a bachelor’s degree in.  I may find something new to write about Disney, organizing, or both.  Humm, “Organizing the Disney Way”? Now, that IS a new concept.

When you write for others, rather is it guest blogging, article writing, or researching for that client’s own passion, it is not about you anymore.  It is about what the client’s needs are, and how you can meet those needs.  Your writing has to come across to match the style of the client’s, as if they are writing as themselves on their blog or magazine.  It is called ghost writing. (Which also means giving up credit and their name goes in the byline instead of yours.) Sometimes you have to use their technical terms, while writing in your style.  No matter how you write and who you write for, you still have to find your why. “Why does the subject means so much to me?”  “Why do I want to research this niche?” These are some of the questions I ask myself before taking on a client. 

When I first got started writing for a client, I did not like the subject he wanted me to research, which was gardening tools, in particular weed whackers, lawn mowers, snipers, and the like.  I love gardening, but lawn care was a little bit out of my league, because as a child, I was not required to take care of the lawn.  That was my brother’s job.  I grumbled as I did this research, I wrote, and I think I even cried one day, until I told myself that this was not going on my blog.  I had a client who needed me to do this research.  I needed to put on my big girl panties and suck it up.  I also told myself to write it as if the posts were going on my blog.  At the end, my client loved the posts I wrote for me, gave me good reviews, and recommended others to me.  It was not about the money at this point. Ok, a little…maybe a lot, but the point I am making is that sometimes there will be subjects that you are not going to like writing about.  I also did not like writing about weight loss and those fad diet, which again, was through ghost writing. 

So, before you put pen to paper (or fingertip to keyboard), except a client’s subject, or even give them a quote detailing your services (another subject for another day), think about your why in writing.  Why do you write for yourself or others, and it does not matter if it is part of a Virtual assistant’s job, a blog post, your personal journal, or an e-book.  Have passion in your work, so others may know that you are worth every penny, which sometimes may be priceless.