The Writing Life
I recently had someone contact me on LinkedIn asking how I got a start in my writing career. I took a moment to ponder his question before I responded. To be honest, it sometimes feels like a sham of a path. Who am I fooling here?
Me, obviously, as I label myself a Writer after all.
What was the right answer? That I had been writing ever since I can remember? That I fell into it when I was working to rebuild my life after my husband died? What writing path was he actually contemplating and would I really recommend going the route at all?
Hmm…
The Writing Life
Creative Writing
So this is, more or less, what I came up with.
I wear many hats. Collectively, they keep me mostly afloat. Mostly. Am I getting rich? Not in the monetary sense, but I have enough cheerleaders pointing out my successes. They never fail to remind me that there is more to life than just the almighty dollar. My presence is inspiring to others and making a difference in people’s lives. Plus, I know a decent amount about a lot of writing related topics. That counts for enough for today.
Not sure if I was as inspiring as I imagine he was looking for, but I pointed out that writing covers a broad spectrum. On the creative writing side, I have published a few books and try to keep other active projects simmering to keep my writing fresh and moving. My published books are both memoirs, but on very different topics. Both stories had simmered for a number of years while I figured out the best way to tell the tales. Time can be a great tool. I needed that time to practice and hone my skills to the point that I was ready to offer my words to the world. As an aspiring writer, Give yourself that.
Remember too that creative writing is different than other forms of writing. It helps to strengthen any words you care to pull together, whether for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or some other form of copy. Creative writing has value period, and if you are driven and lucky, your stories can make a difference in your readers’ lives. Creating with words establishes yourself as a creative regardless, which is laudable (in my opinion) on many fronts.
Social Media Marketing
As to social media management, that aspect of my career has grown and morphed over the years. I started by taking on a blogging client for a friend almost 15 years ago and slowly added new social media management duties and clients from there. Ultimately, the key was flexibility and the willingness to continually educate myself on new practices and programs along the way.
There have been hoops, stumbles, and learning curves aplenty, let me tell you.
Quality always trumps quantity…
And as much as writing is often a solitary endeavour, networking truly does help. Meeting the right people can and does open doors. If that feels challenging, remember that putting yourself out there is a necessary part of being discovered by others. Writing can only make an impression when it is shared. So meet people in your industry and with your interests, but don’t forget those in other industries too. If you want to help others, you need to fill the niches they need help with.
Ultimately, we don’t always know the impressions we leave on people, but the more often we put ourselves out there in an honest way, the stronger and better quality those relationships have the potential to be. Quality always trumps quantity. With writing, relationships, and life.
So at the end of the day, did I make an impression on the person who contacted me in the first place? Maybe. What the process did do was give me the opportunity to reflect on myself and my path though. I am out here hoping to string together eloquent words to help myself and as many people as I can. And regardless of the outcome, I am still pushing myself forward along the writing path.
Not done yet.
