Unlocking Timeless Wisdom: Nine Surprising Secrets from a Veteran Writer You Won’t Want to Miss
I have also written histories of towns and churches. You’ll often earn little pay when you are gaining experience, but you might be surprised at how fun it is to write about “odd” topics.
Another lucrative writing opportunity has been ghostwriting. Almost everyone wants to tell their story, but don’t know where to begin. (Perhaps in a future article, I will tell you how I organized/facilitated my ghostwriting projects.)
- Meet your deadlines. If your children get the flu, you still need to get good copy in on time…. unless of course the publisher/editor was the one who infected them. Then you might get a short extension. The point is, be prepared for emergencies and work ahead of schedule.
- Be grateful for your opportunities. Thank those who have helped you with your writing life, like the publisher and editor of Writer’s Weekly. (See how easy it can be?)
- Keep up with the ever-changing technology and culture of writing. I started on a manual type- writer. I have gone from using carbon paper to learning about AI. Embrace the changes. The alternative to that is non-existent.
- Work hard at your writing. Creatives of all types usually have to revisit their work many times to get the right effect. (It took the artist DaVinci, 30-40 layers of paint to master the depth and realism in his paintings.) Always revisit your work after a couple of days to clear your brain of what you think you have written. You will be surprised by the errors you have made.
- Be prepared for criticism. What sometimes makes a good writer is sensitivity. What sometimes makes a writer quit writing is sensitivity. It’s a delicate dance. Here’s what I’ve learned after 50 years of criticism: If there is something new to be learned from the criticism, set your fragile ego aside and test the suggestions. If the criticism comes from somebody who is just nasty, take a match to the comment and burn it in the kitchen sink…. literally. I’ve burned more cruel comments than meals over the years and that is saying something.
- Be careful when revealing personal information. There are crazies out there. In my long career, I have had kidnapping threats to my children and my life threatened by a national terrorist group, resulting in FBI protection, even though I have mostly written a significantly benign humor column about families and rural life. (Perhaps in another article, I’ll tell you some precautions that have worked for me.)
- Happily, on the other hand, there are many amazingly wonderful people who will thank you for making them laugh or think. Respond to them if possible and always remember to give them reason to want to continue to read your work.
- Have fun along the way. Before you know it, you will be old and finding yourself offering advice to the next generation.
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