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mynameisrainne · 1 year ago

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writing journey, 2024 edition.

The thing is, I wanted to write. I am in love with writing. I wanted to write for myself and others for as long as I can remember. The earliest memory I have of wanting to become a writer was in 2007, when I first started blogging. Bloggers and influencers were still not a thing back then. But I wanted to be that. Even if I didn’t know it would be a real thing today. Which is crazy, right?

Of course, I do have regrets. What if I should’ve continued writing? What if I took writing seriously back when the competition wasn’t steep? Where would I be now if I knew it would be possible?

Obviously, the world of blogging and writing is very different now. There’s SEO, you should niche down, you should have a social media presence and do pretty graphics to attract readers, etc etc. Which is crazy when all you want to do is… write. There are so many aspects now that you need to look into to be successful in this field. Not to mention that there are plenty of good writers everywhere. Those who have the skills and the knowledge. On the other hand, all you have is the wanting.

But you see, all the skilled writers out there started with one thing – they wanted to become a writer.

The thing with wanting is… everything will be possible if you want something bad enough. You study, you do things, you practice, you try, you learn what’s necessary. You want it so bad that the only thing you will do is to be that.

Very recently, I applied for this writing gig for a wellness brand. They focus on women experiencing postpartum. They asked me to write a piece about maternity leave in Australia. It’s a 400-word article but it took me 4 hours to write that. Which is very unusual because I read and write fast. I think fast and I talk fast in my brain. And I type fast, 98 wpm. But for some reason, it took me 4 hours to complete the article. Of course, I did some research. I read articles about the topic. But that just took me an hour, at most. But for some reason, I cannot decide on how I will start the article. I know how I want to write it, but I don’t know how I would want to read it. Should it be light? Should it be fact-heavy? Should it be formal? Should it sound like a chit-chat with a friend? Should I assume that they don’t know anything about the topic and explain it like ABC? Or should I assume they know a thing or two and make it straightforward? I really don’t know.

But I know why I don’t know.

1 – I didn’t offer a discovery call. Okay. I am a new writer. When I got the chance to do the test article, I got really really really really excited. I messaged her on IG, casually trying to connect. And then one story led to another until she mentioned that she was looking for a blog writer and asked if I wanted to try. Of course I wanted to try – “Of course, we can do the test article! Just send me the topic and some blog pegs if that would be possible.” …….. UGH. She emailed me the topic + some links— one was a link to a study related to the topic, and the other was a blog peg. And that’s it. I started writing the article. Admittedly, I didn’t know a lot of things about the brand. Things you obviously wouldn’t know in a 5 minute exchange of IG DM. Things I didn’t bother knowing, but should have, before writing the article. But because I was super excited, and too confident I guess, I started writing the article anyway. 2 – Yep, even though I didn’t know who I was talking to. And because I didn’t know whom I was writing for, I didn’t know how to approach the article. Should it be a happy article? Intense article? Neutral? Should it be straightforward, as if talking to someone who knows a thing or two about the topic? Or should I talk to them and assume that they know nothing about it? I didn’t know what voice and character to use. Should it be friendly? Matter of factly?

And so I ended up talking to everyone, which is the worst thing you can do when writing… because it’s as good as talking to no one. The article was boring. And heartless. 3 – The article has no purpose. I seriously have no CTA at the end of the article. And the whole time, I was throwing all this information without purpose. Should I convince them to do this, or do that? Should I just expect them to believe everything I say? Do I want them to know this information so they can plan their pregnancy, their leaves, and childbirth? Should I convince them to get pregnant because they have maternity leaves anyway????

Even I don’t know. It doesn’t have any direction. It made me cringe now that I think about it. I don’t even know why I was writing about it.

It was a hard pill to swallow. A lesson I learned the hard way. But I am sharing this here to remind myself, and you: please, know your audience. And don’t get too excited.

Ever since that incident, I got obsessed with reading tips on how to be a good (or better) writer. I seriously am not sure if I was able to apply it or not, but I am surely learning. But as per Katy Perry, I wish I knew then what I know now. I used to think that it was a wasted opportunity, but now that I think about it, maybe it is not because I learned so much in that one test article.

Here are some of the accumulated writing advice I got from all over the internet.

Writing Tip No. 1: Clarity If you do nothing more than write clearly, you’re going to be in the top 10% of all writers.

Don’t try to sound impressive, just try to be clear. Don’t obsess over your writing style, just try to be clear. Don’t try to be anything other than clear, and you’ll be good.

The downside to this tip is that if you don’t have anything to say, then being clear will make that obvious.

“An intellectual is a man who says a simple thing in a complex way. A genius is a man who says a complex thing in a simple way.” —Charles Bukowski

Writing Tip No. 2: Give yourself permission to write a mediocre first draft. Write a bad first draft as fast as you can.

We call this part of the writing process a “vomit draft.” The point is to not edit or even read anything that you are writing as you do your first draft. Of course, you will go back to it later and edit, but not on the first pass. The ONLY goal of the first pass is to get it done.

This is because one of the biggest obstacles between the desire to write and an actual finished piece is overcoming your own self-doubt. Doing a mediocre first draft is a great way to get momentum and start moving.

“Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good.” —William Faulkner

Writing Tip No. 3: Expect Writing to be hard. Expect it to be hard, tiring, confusing, overwhelming, and painful. I know this sounds obvious, but most people have a fantasy in their heads about writing that misses the crappy parts.

Embrace the crappy parts. That’s the only way to actually get it done.

Writing Tip No. 4: Make writing part of your habit. The ONLY way to make it easier is to build a writing habit.

If you’re serious about writing, then it has to become a habit in your life. Something you do just about every day.

If you treat writing like a special thing that happens only when you are inspired, then it won’t happen. If you treat writing like a job or skill that you must focus on and schedule, then it will. So start writing.

“First we make our habits, then our habits make us.” —John C. Noble

Writing Tip No. 5: Most “writing” is actually editing. This is obvious to experienced writers, but for some reason, newer writers find this shocking. If you do your first draft properly, it will come out fast and be bad writing. Then you start editing, and that’s when the serious writing starts.

“Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words.” —Mark Twain

Writing Tip No. 6: Cut everything unnecessary. The question, “What can I cut?” is the most important one to ask in writing.

The more you cut without losing meaning, the better. A short good argument will always beat a longer good argument. Always. There is NEVER a reason to write a single word more than necessary.

Note: Do not mistake clarity with brevity. Both are important, but they are different, and that’s why they are different tips.

Writing Tip No. 7: Good editing hurts your ego. This is the most painful truth of writing: good editing crushes your ego. You will fall in love with something that doesn’t work, and the only solution is to cut it. What you do then determines the quality of your writing.

Until you have cut something that you loved but no one else does, you are not writing.

“In anything at all, perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away, when a body has been stripped down to its nakedness.” —Antoine de Saint Exupery

“When your story is ready for rewrite, cut it to the bone. Get rid of every ounce of excess fat. This is going to hurt; revising a story down to the bare essentials is always a little like murdering children, but it must be done.” —Stephen King

Writing Tip No. 8: Great writing is great storytelling. This is a very important tip that so many writers fail to understand—no one cares about your fancy words or perfect sentences. That’s like a chef who is obsessed with spices but doesn’t spend time on the main dish.

Your reader cares about the story.

That doesn’t mean your writing can be bad. But writing is just a vehicle to tell a story, not an end in itself.

Don’t be the writer who forgets the point: teach your reader something valuable through story.

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.” —Steve Jobs

Writing Tip No. 9: Writing cannot be taught; only learned. Take all the writing courses you can, and read all the articles you want. They are great and a part of learning to write.

But the point of this tip is that you’ll never be taught to write. It won’t come from the outside. It is inherently a creative activity, and thus you must actually write and learn yourself how to do it.

Getting guidance is great. But you must still learn it yourself.

Writing Tip No. 10: Write what you are trying to figure out. I do like the “write what you know” cliche, but I don’t think it’s entirely accurate all the time. It’s also very valid to write what you are trying to figure out.

Why? Because it will not only help you figure it out, but it also will help others who are behind you on the path.

The reality is that there is no finish line, so you might as well write and publish now. You can always do more later.

Writing Tip No. 11: Ignore the naysayers “Don’t give up, and don’t lose your stubborn belief that you have a story worth telling. I’ve had so many people tell me over so many years that I didn’t have the qualities needed to be a writer. All of my writer friends and I have one thing in common: We didn’t listen to the naysayers. We kept writing. And eventually we have all been published.” – Devi S. Laskar

Writing Tip No. 12: Make Art That is Meaningful to You “I would advise writers to aim to make the kind of art that is meaningful and amusing to them personally. So much about writing is unknowable, but you (probably) know what you personally find impactful, novel, and cool. So let that be your guide!” – Scott Kenemore

Writing Tip No. 13: Learn to Let go “Write often. I won’t go so far as to say you have to write every day, but I do think you need to make this a part of the texture of your life, something that you do on a regular basis, like a workout schedule.

“Then, learn to let go. Let go of old drafts that aren’t going anywhere, or scenes that don’t work. Don’t spend months tweaking a fundamentally flawed project when you can move on to the wonderful new projects that are percolating in your head. The ‘you must start what you finish’ attitude—although admirable—can actually be a pitfall, because it prevents you from taking a necessary course correction when you need it.” – Leslie Lutz

Writing Tip No. 14: Don’t Follow the Trends “[S]tay focused and write what you enjoy writing. Don’t write for money or follow the trends of what might be selling at the time. Write something that you cannot only be proud of, but also enjoy the process of writing.

“A successful career in writing typically takes too long to achieve to be writing something you’re not passionate about. Write from your heart, and write what gets you excited to sit at your computer every day.

“Most of all, make sure you have a life while doing it—exercise, teach, build, vote, explore, learn, grow, fellowship, and most of all, love. It will not only inform your writing but you’ll also be a healthier person for it, mentally and physically.” – Christopher J. Moore

Writing Tip No. 15: Focus on your own Journey “[F]ocus on your own journey, and try not to worry about what’s going on in the lane next to you. I know it’s hard, because it feels natural to compare. And sometimes it’s important, to know what barriers exist and how they impact marginalized writers. But from a productivity standpoint, the comparisons tend to do more harm than good. Because everyone’s publishing journey is different.

“Everyone has ups and downs at different moments, and paying too much attention to what other people are getting is only going to slow you down. Focus on the page, and the words, and do what you do best—write.” – Akemi Dawn Bowman

(Source 1 | Source 2)

I do not plan to write a book, you guys. I am not a fictional writer. I do not want to become a book author. What I want is to have my ownonline publication – like The EveryGirl, or Goop. And work with many amazing women all over the country, and all over the world. I want to talk about things we don’t usually talk about because the society (and the household) we are living in conditioned us that we cannot talk about these things. Things like sex, same-sex relationships, annulment/divorce, abortion, contraceptives, sex toys, depression, the list goes on. And I don’t want to write about these things straight from the internet. I want to have conversation with people about it, and write about that conversation.

It sounds so far-fetched, right? But that is what I told myself in 2007 when bloggers were not being paid to write and influencers were not known by just breathing and living their lives.

To be honest, I tried so many times to live up to this dream. But it’s easier said than done, I figured. There will be times when you have nothing to write about even if you want to write about something, anything. There will be times when you feel really tired and your brain suddenly stops functioning. There will be times when you will be discouraged because no one is reading your stuff, the stuff you wrote the whole day. There will be times when you will be distracted to do other things than write. There will be times when you’ll ask yourself, should I just do something else? There will be times when you feel nothing is working and nothing is happening. There will be times when you just don’t want to write.

What would you do during those times?

I guess, the biggest challenge for me, really, is that… I want to write something, anything, but I have nothing to write about. It’s like I was emptied by the last piece I wrote. It’s as if nothing is too interesting for me to learn and write about. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I want to write about so many things that I don’t know what to write about first.

I write about women’s health and wellness. But as I am learning about women’s health and wellness, I learned that it’s a lot of stuff for a four-word topic –

Physical health. Pre-pregnancy. Pregnancy. Childbirth. After childbirth. PCOS. Infertility. Gut health. Hormones. Doula. Water birth. Postpartum diet. Acne. Weight loss. Child care. Mental health. Postpartum depression. Bullying. Self worth. Career. Finances. Marriage. Relationship. Divorce. First-time motherhood. Breastfeeding. Menopause. Pre-menopause. Retirement. Maternity leaves. Miscarriage. The topics are endless.

How would I supposed to know what I want to focus on?

Finding a niche (a really specific topic and target audience) is important when you want to become a freelance writer, I know that.

When it comes to being a successful freelance writer, finding your niche is crucial. While it’s tempting to take on any writing project that comes your way, specializing in a specific area allows you to become an expert in that field. This expertise not only sets you apart from other writers, but it also makes you more valuable to potential clients. When you have a niche, you have a unique selling point that can help you attract better-paying projects and establish yourself as a go-to writer in your area of expertise.

Plus, when you focus on a specific niche, you’ll be able to write more efficiently and effectively, which can lead to greater job satisfaction and a more enjoyable career as a freelance writer. So, don’t underestimate the importance of finding your niche – it can be the key to unlocking your full potential as a freelance writer!

Self-assessment and identifying your strengths and interests The first step in finding your niche as a freelance writer is to take a deep dive into your own interests and strengths. Ask yourself what topics you’re passionate about, what kinds of writing projects bring you the most joy, and what areas you have experience or knowledge in. This self-assessment will give you a starting point for exploring different niches and help you determine which ones might be a good fit for you.

Market research and identifying demand for specific niches Once you have a list of potential niches that align with your interests and strengths, it’s time to do some market research. This involves taking a closer look at the demand for these niches in the freelance writing market. You want to make sure that there’s enough work available to support your writing career and that you’ll be able to find clients who are interested in the type of writing you want to do.

There are a few ways to research market demand. You can start by searching for writing gigs on job boards and freelance websites, like Upwork and ProBlogger, to see what kind of projects are available in your desired niches. You can also look at the content being published in industry-specific blogs and websites to see what topics are popular. And, don’t forget to ask your network of writing professionals and colleagues for their insights on the current demand for different niches.

By conducting thorough market research, you’ll be able to make informed decisions about which niches to focus on and how you can position yourself to succeed in that area. You’ll be able to see what types of projects are in high demand and what clients are looking for in a writer, which will help you tailor your portfolio and marketing efforts to best showcase your expertise in your chosen niche.

Staying current and continuously developing your skills within your niche Finding your niche as a freelance writer is just the beginning. In order to succeed and grow in your career, it’s essential to stay current and continuously develop your skills within your chosen area.

One of the best ways to stay current is to read widely within your niche. Stay up-to-date on the latest news, trends, and developments in your field, and make sure to regularly read articles, books, and reports that are relevant to your area of expertise.

Another way to continuously develop your skills is to attend writing conferences, workshops, and courses. These events offer a wealth of information and training opportunities, as well as a chance to network with other writers and industry professionals.

It’s also important to continually improve your writing skills. Regular writing practice can help you develop your voice and style, and it can also be a good way to experiment with new writing techniques and approaches. Consider taking on writing projects outside of your niche as well – these projects can help you develop new skills and gain fresh perspectives that you can bring back to your niche writing.

Finally, don’t be afraid to reach out to other writers in your niche for advice and feedback. Collaborating with others can help you learn new approaches, get new ideas, and receive constructive criticism that can help you grow as a writer.

By staying current and continuously developing your skills within your niche, you’ll be able to maintain your competitive edge, stay ahead of the curve, and build a long-lasting, successful career as a freelance writer.

(Source)

I’ve been brainstorming the whole of January, I am not even kidding. If there’s one thing I want to happen this year, it would be to move the needle when it comes to my writing aspirations.

And then, after four years of backwards and forwards, I finally launched But First, Maria. It’s everything I have always wanted – women’s health and wellness, writing about the taboos and sensitive topics, topics you won’t dare talk about with your friends, and much more with your mom. It’s perfect in my head, but it’s hard in real life. I have so many things I want to talk about, but I can only know and do so much. I tried sending emails to a few people, but I have no responses as of writing. I want to write about first-hand information, not just purely out from Google.

It’s pretty much new, like a newborn baby. And we’re still all over the place. But I want to make it work. I need a lot of tweaking from here and there, I need to reach out to more people, send more emails and DMs, and look for more accurate resources. But at least she’s here. She’s alive, and she saw the light of day.

There are still so many things to work on, improve on, and learn from. But yeah, we are here. And I am just starting.

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