You woke up and decided that today is the day you are going to start that mind-blowing novel… that was 22-hours ago and all you want to do now is go to sleep. Several days, even weeks, go by and you still haven’t started the great novel. You still can’t seem to put the words on paper that have been running through your mind for years.
Stop thinking about writing the book and turn your dream into a reality. Here are a few ways to get your writing career on its way:
Decide, and be clear about it, exactly what you want to achieve as a writer. Your options may include any, all or none of the following: write a book just for the purpose of “doing it”; hoping to earn money as a novelist or book author; supplementing your other income with writing; or quitting any other salaried position and becoming a full-time writer. Your goal is yours to set and all options are all right so long as you work towards achieving it.
No matter what your goal is set up regular “work” hours. If this is going to be your full-time or part-time job then work those regular hours in a regular spot, preferably away from a busy family life. Set daily REASONABLE goals and make a list of what needs to be accomplished every day. Include deadlines, networking (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest) and email. If you plan to work for an income then you have to find clients; include looking for opportunities and sending queries in your work schedule. Block out the time allowed for each action.
Gather samples of your work (both published and unpublished) that you can submit upon request. Study magazines and periodicals for style and content. Gather information about the names of editors and submission guidelines from print and online publications. Contact local weekly and daily newspapers and ask if they accept “stringers” – stringers provide content as opportunities arise and build ongoing relationships with the editorial staff.
Keep records. List all deadlines, assignments, submission addresses and contact names on a calendar, project book or student assignment book; many online calendars can be set with email reminders so that you never miss a deadline. Record all submissions and include the date, where it was sent, what was sent, any available info about response time, and the results. Use an accounting method to record all billing sent, payments received, the vendor, and expenses related to each assignment; some publications have a set system of payment and will not respond to your invoices but rather send automatic payments.
Use any free downtime to write in addition to the time you already have blocked out. Everything you write has the potential for income so don’t talk yourself out of the importance of penning your novel, poetry or short story simply because it isn’t at that time a guaranteed sale. Get yourself used to a regular routine and you’ll find that you will stop putting off the work you want to do. Free-lance writing is not an easy task, but it can be extremely rewarding.
Writing Exercise: There have been lots of unexpected weather conditions the past few weeks. Many people have seen snow for the first time and have been very excited. Think of some awe-inspiring part of nature that you have never seen before; write two to three paragraphs describing how you would feel if you woke up tomorrow morning and saw that exact thing.
Writing Prompt: Choose any five random photos from a newspaper or magazine, do NOT read the articles or captions that surround the photos. Write a Twitter-sized (140 characters or less) caption for each – make up the story based on the photo alone.
