Saturday, September 19, 2015

Understanding yourself as a writer

(c) 2015 public domain image
Topics. Research. Content.  Deadlines. Payment.  These are all things that make up a post, an article, a story, or a document.  They may even summon a poem or two.  One thing for sure, it should be interesting, educate, and bring a call to action (even if it was stupid to begin with).  
These are all the things I have been contemplating with since I started MDN Creates (now called P.Lynne Designs) in January 2009. Is it interesting? Do I educate enough in my posts? Finally, do I bring a call to action?  I always feel that there is something missing in my posts.  In fact, I can be my own worst critic.  Now that I have 5 (soon to be 4) blogs, I have to be extra careful with things, such as:  Have I covered (this topic) before, and if so, when?  How much do I actually know about a topic before diving in?  Is it interesting enough to invite comments from readers, who may have the same interest in the topic?  
I call these type of questions, teaching moment questions.  I have been writing a lot lately about teachable moments:  Recouping after an accident, learning how to follow up, and how to deal with mothers when you are not a mother yourself.  There is one more teachable moment that I feel I need to teach you, and that is not known and understand yourself as a writer.  This lesson goes beyond topics, goes deeper than researching your subject, providing great content, and dealing with deadlines and how you are being paid.   I can’t tell you how many times I have failed on a post, by trying to get my point across to my readers, only to not know who I am as a writer, and if the topic I wanted to cover was interesting enough for me. There is also knowing your audience, but I will cover that in a later post. I can tell the difference.  My failed thought process goes like this:
I come up with a subject.  I love it in the very beginning, and I type feverishly to get my point across at first, then about midway through the process, I stop.   I start pacing, I find other things to do, and then I close the document, thinking that I could just pick it up in the next few hours or the next day.  If I happen to think about it a little the next time I open the word document, I may go to Google first to research it, but that rarely happens.  Then I finally forget about it, and the post is in my “potential post” folder.   The only way I get back to it is when I finally succumb to the idea of just deleting the file. That is one example on how to understand yourself as a writer and that is your work ethic and how you move on from a failed writing gig for yourself.  
Another way is when you start accepting writing assignments to write for others.  Know what niches or topics you will accept as a writer.  As a blogger, you pretty much know what your blog is all about, but this for when someone as you to submit a post or article for their blog or website.  For me, I will not write for or about the occult (Wicca, Pagan religion), anything that does harm to a person unless it is a teachable moment, adult subjects (again it has to be a teachable moment), speak badly about another race, gender, or religion, and anything that speak bad and horrible things about God.   All other subjects are at my discretion.  Sometimes I may not accept a gig because I do not know enough about the subject to give a good, solid document for the client.  I am also constantly learning that the subject matter is not about what I want as a writer, but what my client wants for a document.  For that reason, I often do Ghost Writing.  
So get to know yourself as a writer, all of it.  Take the time to spell your terms and rates out to your new client.  If they want to work with you, that is great, congrats, if not, move on.  There are plenty of people who need writers, and what I love about this industry is the reward after you are finished with the project, which is priceless, but the monetary rewards help pay the bills.  

44 comments:

  1. Great post- thought provoking for me. It's certainly time for that potential post file for me!
    Thanks for the advice!

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  2. I love that you're doing something you are very passionate about. Congratulations!

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  3. What a neat idea! I have never thought much about writing articles for other people. That's a very interesting thought. Glad it works out for you!

    Jebbica
    http://jebbicasworld.com

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  4. I was happy to read this post because I often feel the same way. I have a blog topic, but then think "no one wants to read about THAT" .. lol. Most of the time, like you, I delete and move onto the next topic and honestly, it's sometimes a relief to move on and find a topic I'm more passionate to write about :-)

    Monica.

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  5. It I so important to understand yourself and know that you sometimes just write for yourself, but others will get it! What I need to say is... 5 blogs... WOW. I struggle to keep up with one! Awesome work!

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    1. That is the reason why I am slowly paring down the blogs. I want to get more of them for my sanity, LOL. I see how neat other blogs are, and I feel like sometimes I am not putting in as much effort as I possibly can. The reason why I am going down to 4 is I have a much neglected Disney blog and I said that since I do not live in Florida or California to experience it. So it is turning into a segment in my lifestyle blog, and I slowly writing an e-book on how to plan for a Disney vacation.

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  6. Well Done on the 5 blogs. I have 2 and try to post once a week to each.
    This can sometimes be a bit tricky.
    Sounds like you are pretty professional in what you do.

    All the best.

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  7. Gosh that sounds a lot like me! Thank you for sharing, especially about ghost writing - what a great alternative!

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  8. I like how you highlight the benefit of getting to know yourself as a writer so that you can decide what is the best fit for you. And also being upfront about your expectations when considering writing jobs; I can imagine that would be key. Happy writing!

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  9. When I read about other writers, it helps me understand my writing ways better. I think having confidence in your writing is another important factor.

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  10. Teachable moments is what life is all about!! Writing helps me discover the world around me. Thanks for a wonderful post. :)

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  11. It's definitely important to have your line in the sand. There's things I won't write about either.

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  12. Self-awareness is so important. That's great that you're so intentional and forward-thinking. I'm super impressed with your 5 blogs also. Most days I feel overrun by just one, haha.

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  13. Thank you for sharing. We all have different ways we produce our final product...so glad to hear how it works for others. It makes me feel less along!

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  14. I love writing but I feel that there's so much commotion and that I can't think clearly. I need to expand my writing horizons so that I can generate additional income. Poignant piece.

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  15. Great post! I can't believe you have so many blogs. One blog consumes so much of my time. That's great though.

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  16. I really need this post! Thanks so much for your expertise. I have always loved writing, but I have not always been so confident of my skill level. However, what I have seen here aligns very much with what I believe it takes to be a good writer. Thanks!

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  17. Great points. I do a lot of ghost writing too - I don't want to be remembered and immortalized as the person who write fabulous content on the ins and outs of bed bugs. Whoops - outed myself! LOL Great post!

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  18. Writers are great and definitely needed. We serve different roles in different areas from journalism to blogging to writing books. I am a journalist by trade and miss doing that kind of writing but enjoy where I am in my writing these days.

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  19. I think choosing to write about teachable moments will make your post interesting to a wide variety of people. I think you made some great points and gave solid tips. It is important to know your subject matter.

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  20. Very thoughtful. I spent years writing for other people's signatures and started the blog six years ago to find my own voice. It's been great and I've been able to do some free-lancing, too. I only write about things that are things I feel comfortable with and have said no to others.

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  21. Thanks for sharing your process! I am looking into branching out into freelance writing in the near future, and will keep these ideas in mind.

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  22. Woah 5 to four blogs :O that a lot to keep with kudos to you.I would love to branch out as a freelance writer one day so I'm always try to perfect my old posts as practice.

    http://sheismelrose.net/

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  23. I'm a huge fan of ghost writers, but have found very few that can write in my sarcastic tongue. I end up rewriting so much. But it's still a lot less than I would have had to do! I'm not going to post how many blogs, groups and fb pages I have based on comments lolol

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  24. I had no idea what Ghost writing was until I read your post. Had to google it. Learn something every day :)

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  25. Hello Patricia, reading this post is like facing a mirror. I also do as you do, good luck! :)

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  26. Thanks for giving me so much to think about; I don't do enough calls to action in my posts. I wonder if a standard ending would work or if it would be lazy.

    I used to have three blogs, but now I just have one that I put all my time and energy into. I've started slowing down and thinking about the message I want to put out there and I'm enjoying my writing more.

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  27. Very interesting ideas! I am amazed you can maintain 5 blogs! I appreciate what you say about being true to yourself and your personal boundaries on the work you will accept.

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  28. Wow 5 (or even 4) blogs! I can hardly keep up with 1!! I just started mine though so I am trying to figure out how to work wordpress and all of that but hope to have more in the future...you must be very organized to keep it all straight!! I need to research what Ghost writing is all about. Good article!
    http://www.thefirst23.com

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  29. Very nice post, we all need reassurance from time to time that it's ok to pass on projects that just aren't the right fit, to be able to excel at the projects that are perfect for us.

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  30. I agree with how your posts tend to go...write the beginning, put it away for a day, and then come upon it later. Mine aren't usually to delete but to re-write and make it flow. You make an excellent point with each of us writers need to know ourselves as a writer. So true! Love your post! ~Adrienne

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  31. It's great seeing someone that has integrity with their writing. Some writers will just take the gig for the money without having a interest or knowledge of the subject and it shows.

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  32. Wow I am impressed 4 blogs? I can barely keep up with just one at the moment. In terms of your subject matter, I appreciated the topic as I am slowly trying to improve on my writing skills and ensuring that my blog has good content. I am going to read through this again and see which of the advise I can apply thank you

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  33. Congrats on 5 - 4 blogs! Sounds like you love what you do!

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  34. You sure are busy and inspiring, thanks for sharing! I wish I were a better writer, but I am definitely visually driven.

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  35. 5 blogs, huh? Wow, I have a hard time with just one, sometimes. I also have my list of topics that I won't write about, but I didn't think of defining my writing beyond that. Thank you for the thought-provoking post.

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  36. Nice to meet another writer:) I totally agree about knowing yourself and having limits with your writing. I'm the same way, there are quite a few topics I will not write about. Having these limits in place has made my writing career more enjoyable.

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  37. Great tips! I too will turn down writing assignments if it is on a topic I'm not comfortable with. I think it helps with transparancy, and our writing will connect better with our readers if we understand ourselves better.

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  38. Great perspective and thoughts. I'm working to evolve my writing and my blog as I evolve and change. Thank you for your post. Good stuff!

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  39. Love your tips in this post! I'm glad I'm not the only one that stops mid-way through the process.

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  40. I have thought a lot about what I want to write about but not very often about what I will NOT write about. So that was a really thought-provoking idea for me. Thanks!

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