how to become a question writer

Item Writer Job Facts. How to Become a Test Question Writer

Learn how you can leverage your love of writing into a new career or side gig as an item writer for digital learning assessments or certification exams.

If you’re a writer looking for a new career in digital learning , Item Writer should be on your list of opportunities to explore. Item writers are in demand for 2022, as our experience connecting digital learning professionals with corporate and educational organizations proved. These skilled writers play a vital role in assessment development and certification exam development.

If you like to write and have some experience in education, tutoring, or training, this might be the job for you. Even if you don’t have education experience, you could be a competitive candidate if you have subject matter expertise in a certifiable area. Ultimately, many career paths can help you land a role in assessment development as long as you have the writing skills to complement your experience.

Before you make the leap, you probably have a lot of questions. Like what does an item writer actually do, and what skills can help you get the job?

What Does An Item Writer Do?

Item writers write questions for tests or certification exams. They either work with subject matter experts to gather the information they need or they are subject matter experts in their own right. Using learning standards, they create assessment questions and often integrate them into existing learning management systems.

In the corporate space, you may hear them called certification exam developers. Test development companies may call them question writers or assessment writers. Ultimately, all of these roles require strong writing and editing skills and familiarity with assessment design.

Who Hires Item Writers?

Both education and corporate organizations need item writers, including education publishers, associations that certify professionals, and test development companies like PSI Services , ETS, or the College Board. Basically, any organization with a goal of teaching people or preparing them for a test is likely to need item writers at least some of the time.

What Is The Work Environment For Assessment Writers?

Most item writers do the bulk of their work alone. They connect with SMEs or course designers, but ultimately, the work happens between them and their computer. Remote work arrangements are common and some writers are hired on a contract basis.

You may need to learn proprietary software or be familiar with common content and learning management systems to succeed as a test prep writer. Work arrangements tend to be flexible, but pressing deadlines and heavy workloads are common. You might contribute to a bank of items for a particular exam, or craft an entire assessment. And don’t be surprised if you’re asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement, test questions and prep materials are often proprietary.

Would I Be A Good Item Writer?

Do you love language and appreciate the written word? Does helping students and professionals prove their knowledge or get certified feel like fulfilling work? Are you comfortable working independently but contributing to the success of a team? If you answered yes to all of those questions, a role in assessment writing might be right for you.

If you already have subject matter expertise in a topic like the banking industry, accounting or medicine, you’re already part way there. Expert-level knowledge of topics like computer networking, psychology, or human resources can also help you find certification exam developer roles.

Even without that kind of technical knowledge, you can be a great item writer if you can write clearly and enjoy research.

What Do You Need To Become One?

Many item writers either have an English degree, education, or editorial background. Some have specific technical knowledge or industry expertise. The common thread is writing and editing skills and a willingness to learn how to structure questions to support learners. They need to be able to write clear sentence stems, answers, and distractors.

Many test prep writers come from teaching or curriculum development roles. After all, both teachers and curriculum developers are often responsible for writing assessment questions even if just for their own classes. However, subject matter experts in a range of industries also make great test prep writers. They already have the knowledge they need to craft relevant, effective test questions.

Ultimately, to be successful in this role, you need to enjoy writing and find satisfaction in crafting clear sentences.

Education Level Requirements

The education level required for Test Prep roles depends on who you’re writing for. In most cases, your education must meet or exceed the level of the students. For example, if you’re writing questions for nursing students in graduate school, you may be expected to have a graduate degree. If you’re writing ACT and SAT prep questions, you might only need an associate’s degree. Generally speaking, a bachelor’s degree in a writing-related field should be ideal for most roles.

If you make the extra effort to earn a certification in assessment and evaluation or in curriculum design and assessment, this could give you an advantage in your job search. However, most employers won’t require it.

Keep in mind that item writers who develop questions related to specific certification exams often hold those certifications themselves.

Where This Job Could Take You

For some, item writing is a lifelong career. For others, it’s a learning opportunity they can leverage into a role in test development management, instructional design, or curriculum development.

If you have an undergraduate degree in writing or journalism and want to transition to education, this could be the career for you. If you already work in education and want to eventually transition to design and development, this might be the right role for you. It also makes a great side gig for anyone with strong writing skills.

Prepare For Your Job Search

Start revamping your resume with an eye toward those skills that item writers need most.

• Proofreading

• Assessment design

• Content development

• Standards alignment

• Research skills

• Quality control

• Proficiency with digital tools and remote collaboration

Make sure you include any education or certifications that highlight your qualifications. Mentioning publications, writing awards, or exams you’ve prepared can reassure an employer you’re right for the role.

Be prepared to show writing samples and don’t be surprised if you’re asked to write a sample question or two as part of the application process.

Teamed is here to help you find your next job as an item writer or whatever role you’re seeking in digital learning. Check out our job board or contact us today.

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Job profiles

Unscripted TV

Question producer

Also known as: Questions editor, Quiz producer

What does a question producer do?

Does a question producer: a) write questions for game/quiz shows; b) fact-check answers; c) verify contestants’ answers; or d) all of the above?

If you answered ‘d’, then, congratulations, you’ve won one million pou-… Well, no you’ve not, but you do have a pretty good idea of what a question producer does.

Question producers have great general knowledge and an appreciation for TV quiz and game shows. They are good at researching a broad range of subjects efficiently and ensuring the information they and their team provide is factually correct. They are organised and thorough, keeping logs of multiple and reputable sources for the questions that their team have written. They need to have an in-depth understanding of the format of the particular programme they’re working on and ensure the questions have the right tone, theme and length required by the series producer . On long-running shows, they also need to be sure they’re not repeating questions from previous series. They help develop and establish the number of questions needed per episode, the varying levels of difficulty between rounds, the scoring system and more.

Fairness in quiz and game shows is paramount, especially when prizes are involved. The question producer makes sure questions are clear and fair, with no room for misinterpretation. Equally, they and their team make sure that answers are indisputable.

When filming is under way, they work quickly behind the scenes, verifying answers given by players, tallying results and being the first port of call should any contestants challenge a given answer. They will often liaise with an independent adjudicator to ensure fairness.

Question producers are often staff at independent companies who make a lot of entertainment shows but are employed as freelancers on specific productions.

Watch and read

The secrets of a TV quiz show question writer
Why We Love… Quiz Shows – Highlights from an RTS Panel

What's a question producer good at?

Communication: have an ear for the tone of each programme and the language skills to write questions in this manner, be able to write clearly, avoiding any possibility of misinterpretation
Adaptability: meet the varying workload of different programmes with different formats
Objectivity: gauge difficulty based on the programme’s brief rather than your own knowledge
Research: find obscure information and use multiple, reliable sources to verify it
General knowledge: be naturally curious and have a passion for knowledge
Creativity: find novel ways to treat often well-trodden subjects

Who does a question producer work with?

On a day-to-day basis, a question producer manages a team of question assistant producers, writers and researchers . They take their lead from the series producer of each programme and are in regular contact with external verifiers to ensure that no mistakes are made or missed.

How do I become a question producer?

Most productions look for people with previous experience as question writers and researchers . Many work their way up into this role, starting as a runner and going on to become a researcher. It’s sometimes been known for people to join these teams as a result of impressing as test contestants.

At school or college: You can take A-levels or Highers in English, media studies or any subject you feel passionate about. After all, beyond one round in Mastermind it’s rare that an entire quiz will be on just one topic.

If you want to go straight into a job or apprenticeship, the following Level 3 vocational qualifications will equip you:

BTEC National Extended Diploma in Creative Digital Media Production.
Aim Awards Diploma in Creative and Digital Media
OCR Technical Diploma in Digital Media (Moving Image and Audio Production)
BTEC National Diploma in Film and Television Production
BTEC National Extended Diploma in Creative Digital Media Production
UAL Diploma/Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production and Technology

Get an apprenticeship: An apprenticeship is a job with training, so it’s a great opportunity to earn as you learn. It can also be a good way of getting into the TV industry. Go to ScreenSkills information on apprenticeships for the main apprenticeship schemes in television. If you can’t find a role in TV, it might be worth finding on in a related industry such as theatre, journalism or video production. This will give you skills that you can then transfer into TV at a later point. Check out What’s an apprenticeship? to learn more about apprenticeships and find an apprenticeship to learn how to find one in your region, or approach companies directly. Get a degree: You don’t need a degree to be a question producer, but you may want one. Research-based degrees will set you in good stead for hours of fact-finding, but don’t be afraid to follow your passion and study a subject you adore.

If you’re interested in a degree more closely connected with the world of unscripted TV, you might want to have a look at ScreenSkills’ list of recommended courses , al though it’s unlikely there will be one based solely around research. We recognise courses with our ScreenSkills Select award where they offer training in the relevant software, dedicated time to building a portfolio and have strong links with the film and TV industries.

Get work experience: Try to get work experience by writing to local production companies and asking if they offer any. Keep an eye out for work experience opportunities at the BBC , ITV , Channel 4 , Sky and the PACT Indie Diversity Training Scheme .

Endemol Shine also runs its Brightbulb programme, a 12-week paid internship for eight entry level candidates.

Watch TV : Obvious as it may sound, being a TV junkie, having an awareness of the landscape and having an opinion on what works and what doesn’t work is an invaluable starting point, and a habit that will stand you in good stead.

Network: Get to know people in the unscripted TV industry by attending events . Meet professionals and ask them questions about their work, while demonstrating interest in and knowledge of the industry. Offer to provide them with your professional contact details and try to stay in touch with them. Go to how to network well to learn how to do this.

Network online: Create a LinkedIn profile. See if there are Facebook pages or other social media groups for people making unscripted TV in your area. There might even be groups for runners and trainees. Join them. Create a ScreenSkills profile . There are a lot of crewing agencies that will charge you to be on their books. Sign up to the free ones initially. Wales Screen , Northern Ireland Screen and other areas offer free crew databases. Find a film office near you and get connected. If you do sign up to paid sites, make sure they specialise in the areas in which you’re interested.

Search for jobs: Research unscripted TV production companies that you’d like to work for and watch the programmes that they make. Regularly check their websites and job listings websites to see if they are advertising for roles. You can also send in a short speculative letter with your CV to the head of talent . Register your CV on websites like The Talent Manager, which is used by most broadcasters and independent production companies when looking for staff. StartinTV offers tips on creating your CV and attending interviews , as well as some advice for your first day working in TV .

You might also be interested in...

Being a games producer or development producer in the unscripted TV industry.

Further resources

Why We Love… Quiz Shows – full RTS panel event video
BBC Academy
ITV Entry Careers
Sky early careers
4Skills (Channel 4)
The Grierson Trust
Screen Daily
ScreenSkills resources directory

Other industries

Film and tv drama.

Covers genres ranging from period dramas to epic fantasies screened at the cinema, on TV or on streaming sites

Visual effects (VFX)

Involves making sequences on a computer that can't be created on set, like enormous crowds and fire-breathing dragons

Combines art with programming as well as production, design and testing - the UK’s fastest growing entertainment industry

Creates the illusion of movement, includes computer-generated, stop-motion and hand-drawn animation

Post-production

Is the final stage in film and programme-making where footage is cut, music, sound and commentary are mixed and visual effects are added

Broadcast engineering

Covers the engineer roles that bring a live TV progamme to your screen, from research and development to hardware installation, software and satellite systems

Creative industries

Roles found in more than one industry or genre that present a range of possibilities for freelancers

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The secrets of a TV quiz show question writer

Q: How do you write questions for some of TV’s hardest quizzes?

A: Ask Jo Dean.

For 20 years she has been a question writer on TV quiz shows like Who Wants to be a Millionaire, The Weakest Link and – her current job – Eggheads.

She got into the business of question-setting after taking part in a pilot for a new quiz show – as a contestant.

Dean was approached by the producer who – impressed with her knowledge – suggested she try her hand writing some questions for the series.

Are all question writers masterminds? Most of the time you can write about what you’re interested in. You can write to your strengths – nobody can be good at every subject. You retain around 60% of what you research.

A day in the life of a question writer

In her current job on BBC Two’s long-running Eggheads, Dean explains that one writer will aim to write around one show per week, which amounts to 70 questions.

“I try to focus on a category a day, so I’ll think, right, I’m researching history today,” she says.

“I find sports is really challenging and we have a guy in the question team who is really strong on sport, so he might swap me for arts and books.

“So you can write to your strengths. I’m a big fan of musicals so, for me, those questions are really easy. And I need to remember that a lot of people don’t like musicals!”

Shows like ITV’s The Chase have nearer to 200 questions per show, and a team of around 20 writers.

Dean estimates they are more likely to have a daily quota of around 30 questions.

How hard is too hard?

Questions go through several processes before they are approved to be used on any quiz show.

“Gauging the level is difficult,” explains Dean. “It’s quite subjective depending on an individual person’s knowledge.

“But over time, you get a feel for what people tend to know. You’ll realise people are better at countries in Europe than countries in South America, generally.

“With music, for example, you might think something is really obvious – a pop question from the ’80s. But you get a 70 year old and they haven’t got a clue, but they might love a classical music question.”

On the Eggheads “Sometimes viewers think the the Eggheads get easier questions,” Jo Dean says. “I still get people saying to me, ‘The Eggheads are given the answers aren’t they?’ “What would be the point in that? Nobody would want to watch a show where the Eggheads always win.”

Checking for accuracy: ‘not Wikipedia’

When there is money at stake, the questions must be tripled-checked for accuracy; they are externally verified and cross-referenced to ensure the question hasn’t been used before.

“You need to find any fact in two reputable sources – so not Wikipedia,” explains Dean. “Although, Wikipedia is good to spark ideas.

“Then the shows are sent out to an external verifiers as well. Then we’ll make any changes that they’ve picked up on.”

However, the process hasn’t always been so thorough in the TV quizzing world.

Dean worked on Who Wants to be a Millionaire when it was in its prime.

“Nobody checked our questions in those days,” she says. “We didn’t have external verifiers. And there was so much money riding on those questions.

“You only had to slightly misread a fact and an incorrect fact could make it on the show. There could have easily been a big one that went through incorrectly.

“I used to just write the lower level questions, say up to £32,000,” she adds. “I didn’t want big money riding on my questions.”

Jo Dean’s tips for quiz show contestants “Brush up on current affairs – recent winners of everything from sporting events to Nobel prizes, political leaders, celebrity gossip – who is dating who, hit singles and albums. “Ultimately, there is going to be an element of luck on the day – don’t beat yourself up for not knowing something.”

The ‘I should know this’ factor

Dean explains that her team are always chasing current questions. They want to get there first with things like ‘who won Wimbledon in 2017’ or ‘who won the Best Actress Oscar in 2017’.

And while they want the questions to be challenging, they shouldn’t be impossible.

“The perfect question should be something where they think ‘I should know this’ but they just can’t quite get it,” she explains.

“There’s no fun if it’s just a question where they’ve never heard of it and just have a random guess. You’re playing to the masses aren’t you, so you want people to think, I should know this.”

Jo Dean’s specialist subject on Mastermind would be the silent film comedian Harold Lloyd .

Secret weapon in a pub quiz?

Dean estimates that you retain around 60% of what you write.

Of course, this tends to make her a secret weapon in a pub quiz – despite being the oldest on the team.

“I do a pub quiz once a month,” she says.

“I definitely know a lot more than I used to. But a lot of question writers know a lot, lot more than me. I’ve always been the not-so-intelligent of the group!”

Are you a trivia junkie? Try one of i ‘s regular quizzes

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Blog • Perfecting your Craft

Posted on Feb 11, 2021

How to Become a Better Writer: 20 Hacks and Tips

Practically speaking, writing is just about putting one word after another. But as anyone who’s struggled with the question of how to become a better writer will tell you, there are sometimes entire worlds of frustration compressed in the seconds between setting each word down. If that sounds familiar, or you’re simply trying to improve your craft without the existential writerly despair, we’ve got 20 essential tips to share with you.

In this post, we’ll be sharing writing advice for everyone, but you can head to our more specific guides on starting from scratch, writing novels, nonfiction, and children’s books if that’s what you’re after:

How to Start Creative Writing: 7 Ways to Fast-Track Your Writing
Reedsy's guide to novel writing
How to Write a Nonfiction Book in 6 Steps
How to Write a Children's Book in 7 Surprisingly Simple Steps

1. Start by spending more time writing

How to become a better writer | Malcolm Gladwell quote about practice making you better

You’ll get to know your own writing habits better, e.g. the time of day when you’re most productive, or the location where you’re most inspired to write;
You’ll develop writerly discipline (an essential skill if you ever hope to write a book or another long form project); 💪
You'll work out what you really like to write, whether that's literary fiction or epic fantasy;
You’ll stick around long enough for new ideas to occur to you (especially helpful if you’re a pantser, not a plotter ).

2. Practice reading books by other authors

How to become a better writer | Stephen King quote about how important it is for writers to read widely

On the level of vocabulary, sentence structure, and rhythm, the “ease and intimacy” King talks about occurs subliminally, beneath the surface of your consciousness, quietly sharpening your perceptive skills. On the level of plot or structure, you actively discover the creative strategies of other writers. Now aware of what others are doing with their words, you become a native to that “country of the writer”.

Ultimately, the more wonderful things you feed your brain, the richer the pool of knowledge your creativity will be able to draw from.

📚 If you need recommendations, we’ve compiled reading lists for every taste here:

25 Creative Writing Examples to Inspire You Today
The 115 Best Books of All Time
The 60 Best Nonfiction Books of the 21st Century
The 125 Best Children’s Books of All Time
The 30 Best Memoirs of the Last Century
The Best Short Stories and Collections Everyone Should Read

3. Pick up writing skills from other texts

Okay, enough with the subconscious magical learning — you also need to put in serious, active effort. That means taking apart passages that impress or move you and dissecting another writer’s methodology.

This will be most helpful if you focus on texts in your genre or form: read respected newspapers or magazines if you’re hoping to submit to such publications, poetic collections if you long to publish poetry , academic papers by reputable academics if you’re a budding scholar.

How to Become a Better Writer | Alexander Chee extract, annotated to show how you can learn by analyzing other writing

Read each sentence carefully, asking yourself how you would have gone about writing it. Notice the differences between each version: look closely at how the other writer avoids repetition and regulates sentence length, and become aware of all the words that could’ve gone into the sentence, but were trimmed out. If you remember the lessons you draw from this exercise, you’ll be on your way to becoming a better writer.

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4. Study examples of writing theory

Time for some homework: aside from picking up other writers’ tricks by reading their work, you can also study up on basic writing theories . Learning about story structure and the different models that dramatists and fiction writers rely on, like Freytag’s pyramid or the classic three-act structure , is valuable for any aspiring writer. These models are guides to centuries of storytelling tradition: demonstrations of how you might apply a structure onto a story.

How to become a better writer | Freytag's pyramid

When it comes to expressing yourself, brushing up on your literary and rhetorical devices is also helpful. After all, as much as people like to pretend writing is a mystical art, divinely bestowed upon one by magical inspiration, a lot of it comes down to active effort on the writer’s part.

Head to these guides to literary and rhetorical devices if you’re ready for school:

💡 45+ Literary Devices and Terms Every Writer Should Know

💡 30+ Rhetorical Devices Everyone Must Know

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Literary Devices Cheatsheet

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5. Create your own voice

Some people’s advice for learning how to write is to stick to templates. These can be wonderful if you’re writing something meant to be plain, like a legal document or a freelance proposal . (If this is the case, all you need to do to become a better writer is be accurate, precise, and grammatically correct.) For everything else, by all means inform yourself about things like story structure, but never adhere to templates to the point where your personality is extinguished.

If you’ve got a sense of humor, interests, opinions, or possess literally any other quality unique to human beings (as opposed to bots), you can channel that personality into your writing, and lift mundane subjects up with the buoyancy of your voice.

💡 Need an example? Check out this post on the best reading chairs written by Savannah, one of Reedsy’s writers. You might not have a passion for chairs, but you’ll stay for the engaging tone of her writing voice.

6. Experiment with your writing style

How to Become a Better Writer | Samwell Tarly from Game of Thrones writing at his desk

Hit a plateau? If you don’t feel like you’re improving, it’s time to switch things up. Try writing something completely different to cleanse your palate with the literary equivalent of pickled ginger in a sushi restaurant. Experimentation seems to be working for George R.R. Martin, who has for decades been writing short stories , novellas and even reference books between instalments of his novel series A Song of Ice and Fire — evidently, switching between different forms has helped this author of epic fantasy stay inspired and motivated.

We’ve got over 1,000 creative writing prompts you can browse for inspiration, as well as an interactive plot generator if you need someone to establish plot parameters for you. We know writers struggle to set themselves deadlines, so you could even join our weekly writing contest — we’re happy to provide you with some external pressure, and $250 if you manage to win!

7. Outline your book

Openings and endings don’t just matter in fiction. Inherent in all good writing is story: a narrative with a full-fledged arc that must start and end in places that make sense and add value to the entire text.

Writing students commonly struggle with slow or delayed story openings — where the writer takes too long to clear their throat. They can fill two or three paragraphs, several pages, or even an entire chapter before they get to something interesting.

To sharpen your beginning, try deleting parts of it to get a feel of your work without them. You may find a later passage is more gripping to your reader — you’ll then know you’ve found your true opening.

Endings are similarly crucial. As editor and former publisher Jasmin Kirkbride points out, “Every subplot and all the different strands of your main plot should reach satisfying, clear conclusions. If they are meant to be left ambiguously, ensure your reader knows this, and create something out of that uncertainty.”

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8. Write with a clear vocabulary

As you edit your work , you’ll be thinking of what you intended to say at the time of writing. For that reason, you’ll need to maintain a level of mental alertness that enables you to evaluate whether or not what you ended up writing actually does convey what you wanted to say. This is particularly important if you’re writing nonfiction.

How to Become a Better Writer | Example of wordy sentence before and after editing

9. Self-edit for errors in your prose

While we’re discussing lazy, unmemorable writing, this is a reminder that fillers are another literary ‘bad habit’ to actively resist. Cluttering up your prose, these short words sneakily crawl into your writing and distract your reader from the essence of your point.

In her free Reedsy course on self-editing, Lisa Lepki identifies the most common words in the English language as the culprits of literary clutter. Lisa advises writers to avoid “meandering around [their sentences’] meaning”, and offers this sentence as a wordy example:

“Andy went over to the far end of the playground to see if there was a rake that he could use to tidy up all of the leaves that had fallen down in the night.”

Lisa offers this distilled alternative:

“Mountains of leaves had fallen overnight, so Andy checked the playground for a rake. ”

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10. Cut the repetitive sentences

One practical way to become a better writer is by consciously analyzing your writing to identify repetitive patterns. This is hard to do during the drafting process, especially if you write your first draft quickly , but it’s mercifully simple in retrospect. So dig out some past writing samples ( creative nonfiction , poems, short stories — anything will do), grab some coloring pencils or highlighters, and mark every instance of repetitive language.

Study your words on multiple levels:

The lexical level, i.e. specific verbs, adverbs or adjectives you might be repeating (are your characters constantly grinning?);
The sentence structure level, like if all your examples come in threes;
The narrative structure level, like if you unwittingly but consistently lapse into new flashbacks.

The point of this exercise is to identify your personal linguistic reflexes — known in linguistics as your “idiolect”. In terms of language use, it’s your fingerprint, and familiarizing yourself with it can help you identify repetition and edit it out of your writing.

💡 If you want to learn more about idiolects, check out this post by one of Reedsy’s writers.

11. Avoid clichéd language

Clichés are every writer’s stumbling block, ever an uphill battle — though the battle has its ups and its downs, and what matters most is not the destination, but the friends we made along the way. You get our point, hopefully: clichés are lazy, overly familiar, platitudinous, and often boring. Every time you use a cliché, you’re wasting an opportunity to be original and authentic.

Primarily, our issue with clichés is no moral qualm about authenticity. It’s the simple fact that they completely drain your writing of its ability to be memorable. Lifeless, it falls to the ground, faceless and forgotten.

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12. Understand the ideas behind your work

You’ve already taken the first step toward seeing the bigger picture by honing your opening and ending. Now it’s time to look at all the extraneous stuff outside your text: in other words, situate your writing within a wider framework of similar work.

How to Become a Better Writer | Alan Lightman quote, to show the importance of providing context

13. Respect your reader’s attention

Don’t lose sight of the fact that there’s a person on the other end of the line. Be a compassionate writer by imagining yourself as the reader: is that fourth paragraph detailing the history of a secondary character’s nomadic tribe really necessary? It’s certainly great world-building , but if it puts your reader to sleep, it’s got to go.

Similarly, do not manipulate your reader. Pointless plot twists or clickbait will erode your readers’ trust, and hollow hot takes will impress no one. Stick to substance, and skip the paratextual circus act.

14. Get feedback from an editor

Nobody writes flawlessly. Most published writing undergoes significant editing both by its author and professional editors. For example, Raymond Carver’s classic short story collection What We Talk About When We Talk About Love is known to have been extensively shaped by Carver’s editor, Gordon Lish.

No matter what you’re writing, give your work time to cool before stepping back into it with the fresh eyes of an editor. Assess the clarity of your meaning, expressions, overall structure, your tone, and the mood of the piece, and compare these to the vision you had when you were writing.

Any writing intended for publication should also be professionally edited — and lucky for you, you can hire some of the most experienced fiction or nonfiction editors in the publishing world, right here on Reedsy.

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15. Be open to constructive criticism

How to become a better writer | Professor Bhaer from Little Women

Becoming a writer means releasing your work into the world, and with that comes both praise and criticism. But neither will help you become a better writer if you shut all feedback out. Though some of the criticism you’ll receive may not be helpful, some of it will be, and you’ll struggle to improve your writing if you refuse to see that. Open your heart up to constructive criticism, and you’ll see your writing flourish.

16. Invest in your career with a writing course

While we’re on the topic of learning: there’s plenty of classes and courses you can take, if you’d rather study in a more structured way. If you’re serious about becoming a better writer, whether that’s an author, journalist, ghostwriter , or freelancer , a class can give you access to the wisdom of more experienced professionals — and a real-life class also means meeting mentors and kindred spirits.

You can check out writing courses online — we’ve got a bunch of completely free courses you can take:

FREE COURSE

Author and ghostwriter Tom Bromley will guide you from page 1 to the finish line.

👩‍🎓 How to Write a Business Book — taught by business coach Alison Jones

👩‍🎓 The Non-Sexy Business of Non-Fiction — taught by author coach Azul Terronez

Still hungry? Consider pursuing a writing degree. These aren’t just for people looking for creative writing classes — MFAs also focus on nonfiction, so if that’s what you see yourself writing, there are plenty of options. Only you know which program and school would be the best fit for you, and the Internet will be your friend as you work the answer out.

17. Keep company with other writers

Everything’s better with company. Whether your choice is to join a local writing group, critique circle , or an online Facebook group, having friends who are writers means you’ll have someone to bounce ideas off, someone to support you if you feel insecure about your writing, someone to inspire you to work harder, and someone to offer you advice and opinions about your project. All important aspects of improving your skills! ✊

18. Write content consistently

Writing takes a lot of determination and discipline, especially when you’re working on a longer work like a book or a series . Sometimes things won’t work out, and you’ll be frustrated, impatient, demotivated, and temporarily hopeless. All of this is fine, and an entirely normal part of the process. When you get to this stage, be gentle with yourself, but do not give up.

Writers are often the most stubborn of people: so go ahead and keep writing in spite of yourself, in spite of your insecurities or personal failures, and in spite of what anyone else might think. If that doesn’t earn you the ‘badge’ of a writer, we don’t know what does.

19. Don’t give up on your words

Your ideas will be exciting, but they won’t always be masterpieces. Some you can fix with a zealous edit. Others, not so much. Accept this as a reality and let them float down the river of oblivion.

We know this sounds contradictory to our last bit of advice, but trust your intuition to decide whether it’s worth persevering with a particular project. For example, there’s no point in trying to resurrect the passion you had for a project you started long ago, if the inspiration has long since left you. There is also little point in pursuing something you began simply because you felt it was what you were supposed to be writing. If it doesn’t speak to you anymore and you see no way to revive the spark, cut your losses and move on.

20. Embrace failure to become a better writer

Finally, just as you’ll have to handle criticism, you’ll also undoubtedly face rejection and failure. Whether you’re rejected by literary agents , fail to get a publishing deal, or have your stories, pitches, or poems rejected by literary publications, you must remember that failure is an inescapable and inevitable fact of life, and does not determine your worth as a writer.

How to Become a Better Writer | CV of Failures

Be assured that others fail, too, even if they only fail in private. One of our favorite reminders of how common failure is is the famous CV of failures published by Princeton professor Johannes Haushofer , where he lists every program, award, and position he was rejected from, as a reminder that everyone experiences failure. And if you need a writer-specific example of success despite failure, remember that Douglas Stuart’s novel Shuggie Bain , winner of the 2020 Booker Prize, was rejected 32 times before it received a publisher’s offer.

You don’t need anybody to officially ordain you as a writer — you’re a writer if you believe you’re a writer and write anyway.

We hope these tips help you figure out how to become a better writer. Your quest is noble, and we believe in you!

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So you’re wondering how to become a writer. The short answer is: anyone who writes is a writer. However, becoming a writer who’s serious about their professional career requires lots of work, and if you’re wondering how to become a professional writer, you’re ready to start the journey towards a productive and successful literary career.

How do you become a writer? You don’t need a degree to be a writer, nor do you need to be a certain age. Becoming a writer simply requires an admiration for—and a longing to create with—language. So, don’t worry about becoming a writer later in life or lacking a formal education. (That’s what Writers.com is here for!)

No one can teach you how to admire the written word, but the instructors at Writers.com are experts at turning longing into language. That’s why this article covers everything you need on how to become a writer. From the personal to the professional, let’s dive into everything writers need to build a successful literary career .

How to Become a Writer: Contents

How to Become a Writer: Anyone Can Become One

It’s never too late to become a writer, where to begin your writing journey, how to become a professional writer: what “professional” means, how to become a writer: resources for becoming a professional writer, how to become a writer: developing a writing habit.

Even today, there’s a persistent myth that writers are elite, born-with-it Ivory Tower folks who possess some ineffable gift of the Muses. Yes, some great writers were born with greatness (and plenty were born with privilege), but anyone who calls themselves a writer does so because they labor with the written word.

Becoming a writer simply requires an ardent exploration of language.

In others words, you don’t need an MFA from the University of Iowa to call yourself a writer. Becoming a writer simply requires an ardent exploration of language. If we had to boil a writer down to three requirements, it wouldn’t involve age or degree. The 3 traits for becoming a writer are:

Passion for the written word,
Desire to expand the boundaries and possibilities of language, and
Willingness to grow and learn continuously.

Many writers who have these traits stop themselves from writing, because they’re wondering how to become a writer without a degree. Now, writers certainly benefit from a university education or a family legacy in literature, but countless writers have acquired respect and success without a degree or name recognition.

Ernest Hemingway never went to college, but he still won a Pulitzer and Nobel Prize; neither did Maya Angelou attend university, yet she’s celebrated as the “black woman’s poet laureate” and later accepted a professorship with Wake Forest University. Degrees are just paper; it’s words that matter.

How to become a writer: Degrees are just paper; it’s words that matter.

Becoming a writer has no age restriction; the act of writing is rated G for the General Public, and those 3 aforementioned traits are found in writers from ages 2 to 99+.

Many writers discover their writing talents in their later years. Why, exactly? Neurology reveals there are two types of intelligence : fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence. “Fluid” refers to creative and adaptive thinking, including activities like writing and problem solving. “Crystallized” refers to the solidified body of knowledge people draw from—all the words, definitions, and experiences that build a foundation for the world.

Generally, younger adults have more fluid intelligence, whereas life experience builds one’s crystallized intelligence over time. The two intelligences tend to converge in a person’s 40s, since this is an age where the faculties for fluid intelligence haven’t declined, and crystallized intelligence abounds. Not-so-coincidentally, many writers see their careers flourish in their 40s and 50s!

Many celebrated writers didn’t put pen to paper until middle age or later.

In fact, many celebrated writers didn’t put pen to paper until middle age or later. Laura Ingalls Wilder didn’t start writing until her 40s, and her Little House series didn’t start printing until she was 65. Likewise, Most of Wallace Stevens’ work was published after he turned 50; despite being a poet, he worked at an insurance company, and most of his coworkers were shocked when he won a Pulitzer at 75. Nobody knew that he wrote!

Finally, many university students return for a writing degree after establishing a career elsewhere. BFA and MFA programs around the world educate students in their 30s and beyond; in 2017, the average age of a low-residency MFA student in the U.S. was 35.4, according to LitHub and AWP .

Whether you’re 19 or 90, you’re never too old to write. The best time to write is yesterday; the second-best time is today.

Rather than an If-Then structure, the writing profession follows a Became-Because structure.

How do you become a writer? Where do you begin? The writing profession is unlike most professions, which follow an If-Then structure. If you get a bachelor’s degree, Then you can work as a nurse, computer scientist, or accountant; If you join a worker’s guild or apprenticeship program, Then you can find work in a number of trade jobs.

The writing profession follows a Became-Because structure. Zora Neale Hurston became a writer because she obtained degrees from Howard University and Barnard College, encouraging her to dissect the African American experience through a literary and anthropological lens.

Conversely, Haruki Murakami became a writer because of a baseball game .

The qualifications for becoming a writer are unique to the individual, and every writer is formed by personal interests and experiences. As a result, no one can tell you where to begin your writing journey; however, if you’re wondering how to become a writer, you’ve already started your journey by thinking about it.

If you’re wondering how to become a writer, you’ve already started your journey by thinking about it.

One distinction to help you think about your writing journey is the difference between amateur and professional writers. If you’re not sure what you want to become, start with the following question: what does “professional” mean?

There are, generally, two classes of writers: amateurs and professionals. Before describing the professional writer, let’s be clear: “amateur” is not derogatory, and professional writers are not “better” than amateurs. Amateur comes from the Latin amator , “lover.” An amateur writer loves the written word just as much, sometimes even more, than the professional; amateurs simply have less pressure, deadlines, and financial dependence on writing. It’s a pastime, not a career.

If you want writing to be a significant portion of your income, then you aspire to being a professional writer.

If you want writing to be a significant portion of your income, then you aspire to being a professional writer. Professional writers have to approach their writing as a business, building a literary audience and keeping a regular writing schedule. Professional writers need to understand the ins and outs of the publishing industry—which they often learn through obtaining a university degree—and it also helps to have formal training in the publishing world and experience operating literary magazines.

How do you start to work toward becoming a professional writer? Below are resources to get you started.

At some point, the professional writer needs to know the ins and outs of writing as a business. This list covers the essentials of how to become a professional writer.

How to make money as a writer

Explore freelance writing opportunities (updated weekdays at F.W.G.)
6 writers explain how they make money (NY Mag)
Self-publishing versus traditional publishing (Self-Publishing School)
Writing to market (Funds For Writers)

Taxes as a self-employed creative

Taxes on freelance writing and royalties (TurboTax)
Tax tips and unique situations (The Balance Careers)

Resources on publishing

Poetry journals
Fiction journals
Creative nonfiction journals
How to get published in a literary journal (Reader’s Digest)
Book: What Editors Do by Peter Ginna ($25 at UChicago Press)

Becoming a writer online

Basic guide to each social media platform (Kindlepreneur)
Building an author’s website (The Write Practice)
Free website template for authors (Copyfolio)
Running a mailing list (Your Writer Platform)

Things to know before taking writing classes

Poetry courses
Fiction courses
Creative nonfiction courses
Why take a writing course?

Additional resources for learning how to become a writer

Setting SMART goals
Reading like a writer
The golden rule: show, don’t tell
Overcoming writer’s block
Becoming a poet
8 tips on learning how to write
Best online creative writing classes

How do professional writers spend their workdays? Perhaps the trickiest part about becoming a writer is establishing a writing habit. For example, Haruki Murakami runs a 10K every morning to support his writing, and Charles Dickens wrote (and slept) facing north to improve his creativity.

Perhaps the trickiest part about becoming a writer is establishing a writing habit.

What works for one person rarely works for another, so experiment with writing habits—and when you find one that works, stick with it.

Generally, you can parse the writing business into 3 separate components:

The writing life—putting pen to paper at regular intervals.
Scheduled time for “the business of writing”—literary submissions, applying for grants, etc.
An active media/marketing presence—blogging, tweeting, emailing, etc.

You’ll want to schedule time for each of these elements in your daily writing habit. Of course, this is easier said than done. Budding writers often overestimate their ability to work: they think they can spend 3 hours writing, 2 hours replying to emails, and 2 hours submitting work to journals. Then they spend the afternoon watching reruns of BBC quiz shows. (Yes! I did do this recently.)

That’s why forging a consistent writing habit is essential—for amateur writers as well as professionals. Writing at the same place at the same time encourages your brain to write every day. And, if you can’t keep yourself focused on writing, try experimenting with different writing rituals. If a 10K helps Murakami write, something equally unique could help you, too.

How to Become a Writer: Take Your Next Step with Writers.com!

The classes we’ve curated in our upcoming schedule will take your writing life to the next level. Whether learning a new writing style or mastering the business of writing, becoming a writer feels a whole lot simpler with Writers.com.

Sean Glatch

11 comments.

Brilliant review Misty

I hope, I can be a better writer with your support.

Yeah. Same thing as with all other fields. Practice, practice, and once again, practice! It’s like a sport, you should always find new ways to practice.

This really helped me out. Thank you so much!

I’m 14 and i hope to become a writer someday. Thank you so much for the info.

Thank you for the information About to start my writing journey and thus really helped.

I’m a senior that would like to turn my love of writing into a profession. The information you have presented here has inspired me to continue moving towards that goal.

I live in a rural area of Uganda with very little education but always aspired to write a book on families. I am much encouraged. started it but got stuck ..

I love writing and thank you for information you have given meand am obliged to say thank.

i am very eager to become a writer be that script know how or fiction. i am a sponge for knowledge so i learn as i work. i treat everyday as a school day. i want to learn every single part of the writing career-be that if the editor drinks tea or coffee and how they like there papers folded. i soak information as i do a task. i love to build the bullet points for a story because everything needs a beginning. if you are baking a cake the eggs and flour are needed before you think about putting anything in the oven. to prepare a cake you need a tray to put it in-before you build a story you need a starting and then ingredients to put in along the way. i really love to build a story from different snippets of things. i have a thirst for many different aspects of life having spent a majority of time in hospitals and then being taken advantage of my my family because of my brain injury. so i know more than most in a lot of different subjects and matters in life, i have lost more than most in life but i am here telling my version of it to the big bright world. 0874762400 is my contact number

Discovering the path to becoming a writer is both exhilarating and daunting. It requires a blend of passion, persistence, and honing one’s craft. From mastering the art of storytelling to navigating the intricacies of the publishing world, the journey demands dedication and resilience. Embrace every word written, every rejection faced, for they are stepping stones on the road to literary success.

How to Become a Writer [In 13 Steps]

If you’re wondering how to become a writer or how to write a novel , rest assured you are not alone. Lots of people feel like they have a story to tell, but they’re not sure how to tell it. Anyone can sit down and start writing some words on a piece of paper.

However, the physical act of writing is not what makes one a writer.

There are several elements involved in writing something good and thereseveral elements that you should consider if you want to fully understand how to become a better writer .

You need a lot of skills. Some are natural but many need to be learned and perfected over time. There are things you can do, actionable steps you can take to learn the craft of writing:

Take classes
Start writing
Use writing software
Create a writing space
Seek feedback
Connect with other writers
Start a blog
Start a journal
Be creative
Don’t fear bad writing
Know why you want to write

Knowing how to become a writer is a great place to start. Once you have a plan, putting it into action is all up to you.

1. How to Become a Writer by Reading More

The first step to becoming a better writer is to become a better reader. Reading has tons of benefits. Not only will it help you get to know how to become a better writer but it has other benefits too.

Research shows that people who read 30 minutes a week reported that they were 20% more satisfied with their lives. Another study revealed that reading reduces stress by a whopping 68% .

Isn’t it amazing?

Whatever your favorite thing is to read – novels , true crime, nonfiction, etc. – get lots of it, and read like crazy. Reading professional written works will help you develop an eye for how things should look and sound.

The more you read, the more styles you will be exposed to as well. Even though you are just reading casually for personal enjoyment, you will still ingest all the elements of the text.

You will get used to the way things are done, and you will implement the little tricks and methods into your own writing.

Reading is also a great way to get ideas and inspiration. Of course, you don’t want to copy someone directly. But, especially when it comes to fiction, there can be a small thing within one story that will spark a huge idea in you.

Perhaps the setting inspires a bit of magic in your own mind. Or, the witty and crass personality of a side character starts creating a hilarious main character for your next comedy.

2. Take Classes That Teach you How to Become a Writer

Even if you are a total natural when it comes to writing, it will never hurt you to take a class or two. You don’t have to drop everything and enroll in a full time, four-year college writing program to learn from accomplished writers.

You may be able to find a single, weekly class at a local school or library. This is a small investment of time that can leave you walking away with a brand new set of valuable writing skills.

If there is nothing available locally, there are hundreds of online courses to pick from. One of the best places to find awesome online writing courses is Udemy .

These online courses don’t usually cost too much and can end up teaching you a lot. Writing courses are usually taught by a professor who helps you learn and improve certain skills.

Perhaps you want to work on your ability to develop a plot or you want to learn better journalism techniques. There are usually specific classes you can take depending on what you want to do and learn.

Other times, classes are taught by successful published authors, and they work with you on a specific project or manuscript. They can offer advice, insight, tips, and solid critique. These authors will also usually be happy to offer advice on breaking into the world of publishing .

3. How to Become a Writer by Writing

Even with endless hours of reading and a few classes under your belt, the only way you can really hone your writing craft is to write. That’s the best approach on how to become a better writer or how to write a novel.

If you want to become a writer, you need to write every day . No exceptions. No excuses. Find the time to write every day. Even if all you can manage are 100 or 200 words – at least you wrote something.

Writing every day will help you create great habits. You need to keep good habits and remain disciplined if you are going to make a career out of writing.

Writing often will also help keep your thoughts clear and your ideas flowing. The process will become easier, and you will be able to enjoy your writing time to the full.

4. Use a Software to Help You

If you’re not sure how to write a novel, you need to use a software . Period.

Staring at a blank document and wanting to fill it with brilliant words can be daunting and tedious. Even once you get started writing, you may find you want to go back and change things. Or maybe you came up with a great plot twist and you jump ahead.

These things can be difficult when working on the linear pages of something like Microsoft Word .

This is why Squibler was designed – to help make the process easier. Squibler was created with a novelist in mind but the program can be helpful to any writer looking for better organization.

It has separate sections for notes, outlining, and research. You can keep everything you need stored away neatly, but always easily accessible.

When it comes to the actual writing, Squibler helps you stay both productive and organized at the same time. Rather than one big, long document, it breaks your chapters and scenes down into separate documents. This allows you to write in whatever order you please, and you can rearrange later with ease.

Squibler has also created a series of templates to make the writing process even more straightforward and efficient. They will walk you through each stage in the story and make sure you’re not missing any important plot points.

For extremely extensive and detailed note-taking, you can even look into an app like Evernote or Google Keep . These can’t facilitate your actual writing but they can keep you incredibly organized.

5. How to Become a Writer With a Writing Space

If you’re interested in knowing how to become a better writer, you need a personal space where you can do your writing. This is a must.

For most, this is an office or a desk space that they can personalize. Decorate the space with things that make it feel like you, and gather all your tools such as pens, pencils, notebooks, books on writing, laptop, etc.

Keep everything together and dedicate the space to writing. Whenever you sit down at your writing location, you will instantly feel in the mood and in the zone.

6. Seek out Real Critiques

A major recurring problem among writers is the lack of proper and constructive criticism.

Writers will usually start by sharing their work with those closest to them – family and friends. This is a good start as it will build your confidence and get you used to exposing your work.

However, it is not good to stop here. Family and friends want to make you feel good. They want to lift you up, and this is good, this is what they should be doing. But – it is not good for your writing.

You won’t know about any problems your writing may have unless someone brings them to your attention. This is why you need to actively seek constructive criticism and welcome it with open arms when it does come.

Give your work to someone outside of your inner circle. A co-worker maybe, or find a mentor. They will be comfortable being honest with you.

Another option is to find an online community. There are plenty of websites and forums out there that are dedicated to giving feedback. Scribophile is one of the best communities that you should give a try to.

A good critique community will remain respectful and polite. They will highlight some of the good in your work but they will not hold back in critiquing the problem areas. This is how you learn and improve.

7. Connect With Other Writers

Sometimes, you’ll need a little support outside of just getting critiqued.

The life of a writer is one of wonder and creativity. It can also be one of frustration, writer’s block, and being over-caffeinated. The only people who really understand are other writers.

Make an effort to make a writing friend or two in your area and lean on each other when need be. They can also be a good help if you’re low on ideas or need assistance brainstorming or storyboarding.

8. Start a Blog

Blogs can be a useful thing for any writer to keep around. Your blog can be about anything and it’s just one more avenue for you to practice your writing.

It not only helps you gain experience but it builds your confidence in sharing your work with the public . Blogs can also alleviate any pressure you may feel to be perfect like in other forms of writing.

Blogs are a personal asset and the writing doesn’t need to be fancy. It should be grammatically correct and free from spelling errors but it doesn’t have to be super polished.

You can start by creating a more personal blog and write about miscellaneous topics:

Your family
Opinions on certain issues
Any trips or adventures you may go on
Books you’ve read
Movies you’ve seen recently
Thoughts on current events

You can also use your blog strategically as a writer. There are things you can do to make a blog work for you and improve both your craft and your presence:

Post rough versions of your work for critique
Post edited and polished excerpts for feedback
Share links to your work that is published elsewhere, and create a portfolio

Here is a detailed guide on how to start your own blog and how to become a better writer.

9. Start a Journal

Many successful people keep a journal. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or elaborative.

Sometimes, it’s just five minutes a day. Even if it’s short, journaling can help you organize and articulate your thoughts. It will help you prioritize tasks and activities that you need to complete and it’s another way to write more.

It may be small and short but it is still writing. All forms of writing can be counted as experience and even this can help you improve.

In addition to helping your writing, keeping a journal can also aid you in creating and maintaining good writing habits.

Read this guide on how to start your own journal and write more to become a better writer.

10. Practice Your Style

There are many different types of writers and each one writes in a different style. Most of the general content online should be written in a more casual and conversational tone.

Contractions are your friend and you want to be relatable. If this is you, keep this in mind always. Practice being more conversational.

There is some writing though that requires extreme professionalism. Technical writing , medical writing, and a lot of business writing will have a more serious tone.

This is not the place to make jokes or tell personal anecdotes. If this is what you’ve chosen to write, always be practicing this more professional tone.

11. Be Creative and Don’t Stress

If you’re just starting out as a writer, don’t stress out !

Let your creativity flow and just write!

Even the best and most successful writers don’t write perfect, polished first drafts. Your first attempt at anything – a novel , short story , or article – isn’t going to be amazing, so don’t sweat it.

You’ve got something there, and you can work with it later. Writing can always be improved upon but only if the words are there in the first place.

Try getting through a few thousand words without doing any editing. You’ll probably find that the less you worry about perfection, the more the words will flow.

12. Don’t Be Afraid to Write Badly

Don’t let the fear of writing badly stop you from writing.

Remember: You don’t have to show anyone anything if you don’t want to!

Don’t worry about wasting your time either. If you worry that poor writing is a waste of time, you’ll probably end up wasting time sitting there writing nothing instead. Bad writing is better than no writing and everything is good experience.

Bad writing can be improved upon but no writing will always be no writing. You can’t edit a blank page, so go ahead and write some crap. At least you will have written something, and you can turn it into good writing later.

13. Examine Why You Want to Become a Writer

There are lots of great reasons to become a writer. In fact, there aren’t too many bad reasons to want to become a writer.

Whether you want to be a freelance content writer or you want to publish a series of novels , knowing why you want to write will help you get better.

You will be more motivated to improve your skills and gain more experience if you know why, specifically, you are doing what you’re doing.

Having a particular goal in mind will also help you determine which skills need improving. If you want to focus on writing fiction , you can probably pass on the journalism courses.

Don’t Waste Time

Whatever your reasons are, don’t wait before getting started. Becoming a writer is an ongoing process. There will always be something to learn, so don’t waste any more time – start writing.

Seperate and Separate – Which one is Right?

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The 5 Best Questions About Writing to Get You Into the “Write” Mindset

by Joe Bunting | 35 comments

Do you have questions about writing? Maybe you wonder, “How do I make a living as a writer?” or, “How do I write a bestselling book?”

I hear questions like this all the time, but if I'm honest, there are good questions about writing and there are bad ones, and the two questions above are the second type.

Which of course raises the question, what are the best questions to ask about your own writing? If you want to go from an aspiring writer to published author and maybe even best-seller, what should you be asking?

In this article, I'm going to share a list of questions aspiring writers should ask themselves if they want to accomplish their writing goals.

The Power of Questions

I first decided that I wanted to become a writer when I was seventeen years old.

I was in my room reading A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens for high school, and for some reason the main character (and supporting cast) and the story touched me so deeply that—for a moment—I felt connected.

It was one of the first books that made me feel not alone.

You see, like many kids, I was bullied in school, and it had the effect of silencing me. I didn't trust people, and I had very few friends. But for some reason, reading that book at that time, it was as if Charles Dickens had reached through 120 years of history and spoken directly to me.

In that moment, that question people always ask when you're growing up popped into my head: “What do you want to be when you grow up?

Somewhat naively, I thought, “Maybe I should do this? Maybe I should be a writer.”

Because wouldn’t it be amazing to inspire this feeling in others?

To reach through words and pages and connect with a reader so they knew they also weren't alone, that there is one person, at least, who feels like they do?

In other words, I wanted to become a writer so I could connect to others.

And by asking myself great questions—specifically these five essential questions about writing—I started to overcome writer's block and hold onto my reason to not only write, but finish my book.

And all the ones after that.

5 Good Questions for Writers

There are five questions that have been most transformative for me in my writing, and I believe they're important for you, too. Ask yourself:

1. Why do you write?

George Orwell, in an essay about why we write , said this:

[We write out of] sheer egoism. Desire to seem clever, to be talked about, to be remembered after death, to get your own back on the grown-ups who snubbed you in childhood, etc., etc. It is humbug to pretend this is not a motive, and a strong one…. Serious writers, I should say, are on the whole more vain and self-centered than journalists, though less interested in money.

In other words, Orwell says we write to be admired.

But honestly, I think George Orwell was wrong. Fame, admiration, self-centered vanity aren't really what we're looking for.

We write to connect to others. Writers or not.

The truth is, being known, being loved, is so much better than being admired. Being loved gives us a chance for a personal experience that changes lives.

Just look at what Amanda Palmer said :

For most of human history, artists have been part of the community. Connectors and openers, not untouchable stars. Celebrity is about a lot of people loving you from a distance. But the internet—and the content we’re freely able to share on it—is about taking it back. It’s about a few people loving you up close, and about those people being enough.

Ask yourself, “Why do you write?”

Why do you really write? Is it about fame? Vanity? Celebrity? Or is it deeper than that?

Do you write to connect?

Good writing comes from writers who pour words onto the page with their heart.

And while asking published writers craft questions like, “How did you choose your point of view?” and “How much world building do you do before writing your story?” are great interview questions to ask for writing advice, they won't necessarily give you the momentum you need to write through the tough times.

Resistance will come.

All writers experience hardship at one point or another. But when you ask the right questions, the ones that empower your writer's mindset, you will find the reason to write through the difficult parts.

And then, you'll finish your book.

2. How do you change people?

I think it's great to make money at writing. I think it's important to get paid for your work.

However, the question, “How do I make a living writing?” is the wrong question (and type of question) to ask yourself.

Instead, ask yourself how you CHANGE people with your writing. How can you change people with your stories?

Because if you can inspire transformation in readers, they will pay whatever you ask for your book.

3. What can you write that no one else can?

If you can write something unique, something different from anything else in the market, something that people also like, your fans will buy everything and anything you ask.

While there are no original stories, it's always important for writers to put their own creative twist on stories that have already been done—and that have proven their impact on readers.

If you're interviewing a writer, this could be a cool question to ask: “What have you written that no other writer could write?”

What makes your writing unique? Why can nobody else write this book?

It's also an important question to ask yourself before you write your own book.

4. How do you connect your emotions to your story?

“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader,” said Robert Frost.

How do you get so deep into your characters (or else choose characters similar to you and your story) so that you can summon the emotional depth necessary to tell an entertaining and transformative story?

What this mean is how can a reader live vicariously through the main character's journey that they, like the protagonist, change after reading the book?

While plots drive the external parts of a story, the internal arcs of characters are what communicate theme. And these messages are what readers carry with them after they're done reading, and likely try to apply to their own mindsets about life.

Don't underestimate the emotional influence you can have on readers. In fact, prioritize it.

5. How can you live a story as interesting as the ones on the page?

Look at the writers you most admire. See how they took risks with their lives?

Ernest Hemingway, Mary Shelley, John Steinbeck, Virginia Woolf—they all lived lives as interesting as the ones they wrote about. Part of their marketing (their platform you might say) was based on how they lived , not just how they wrote.

The best writing comes from experience.

And so, your biggest asset as a writer comes from your experiences.

How are you going to create experiences that help you be a better writer? How will this help you connect with multiple readers, instead of one particular type of person?

What Questions Do You Bring to Your Writing?

Here are some questions I've heard from other writers:

Why do I struggle at the end?
What if no one connects with my art?
What if I try to write one story and it becomes something else?
What do I do with my fear?
What if I’ve outgrown my story?
Does rewriting always make your story better?

All of these are questions about writing worthy of your time and attention. However, if you want to become a writer—one with the motivation to make a career as an author—consider the five questions in this post.

These are the questions that will change your writing mindset first.

How about you? What questions are you bring to your writing? Let me know in the comments .

Pick one person you would like your writing to connect with.

Then, write something just for him or her.

Write for fifteen minutes . When you're finished, share your practice in the Pro Workshop here . And if you share, please be sure to give feedback on a few practices by your fellow writers.

Not a member? Join us here .

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

35 Comments

Hey Joe 🙂 I’m back! not sure for how long but at least for this post. I’ve been struggling for a long time and quite recently with my writing. Everyone seems to be pushing it down and inserting their opinions as fact and I’m starting to get lost in it. I might do this whenever you have a post to try to pull myself out. I hope I can keep up with my writing. Here’s my practice and thanks for the wonderful post.

It’s not easy to be a dreamer. To have so much light and imagination in your being that people notice, and shun you for it. It’s not easy to stand out from the crowd of different or flawed. It’s not easy to be different. But different is the only thing that the world needs so much but lacks greatly. Few dreamers share their dreams with the world and bend to conformity. Each instance of this is a dreadful loss, we lose something, something important.

I know it’s hard to be bullied and told to conform. The words will stick forever, growing stronger with age. “You’re not good enough, why try? You can’t win, you don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re not a professional, why would anyone listen to your voice, your message?”

Don’t listen to the voices inside your head. You’re so much better then they portray you. Keep going, don’t stop. We need your gift and your message. Without it the world won’t survive. Keep reading keep dreaming, don’t listen to what others say you are. Follow your heart, dream like there is no tomorrow, sing as if no one is watching. Dream on, dream on, we need your light.

I agree: it’s not about money. It’s about a compulsion to connect. But you’ve nailed my questions: 1) What do I do with my fear?–certainly not what I’m doing now, editing the life out of my finished manuscript. 2) Does rewriting make my manuscript better? I’m beginning to doubt it. I think rewriting is a fear of submission. Even though it has already won a contest, and they are waiting for my final draft.

I think writers write for different reasons. I find the strongest reason I write is to escape into my stories. I love to create. There is something amazing about becoming lost in your novel, watching a world unfold at your fingertips.

I think connection is really fulfilling after I write. The connections I make with people and their interest in my writing drives me to complete my stories and to edit them.

When I’m truly lost in my story and my characters, their emotions become evident. Its amazing to take the adventures along with my characters, to not only see, write, but also feel their emotions.

If I ever make money at this hobby I love, it will be completely incidental.

Most people want to be in the arts assuming they value the arts. So we try to be in one of the major three, painting, music or writing. Soon enough we realize that physically or mentally we are not fit to be musicians or painters or writers and we eliminate those that for some reason turn out only to be fantasies.

For me to be a painter was something that I thought I can do and I would be able to do if I put effort into it, and I went in it wholeheartedly trying to learn it the best I can and do it as much as I can even though I spent most of my adult years in something else, the sciences. But I , also, always had the urge to write but writing does not come easy as painting does. So if you ask me why I want even to try to do it, my answer is simply why not if it gives me self-fulfillment one way or another. Because writing does not come easy for me I do not do it everyday even though I wished I were able to, reason being the difficulty and frustration that I always face when I try to write.

For me Music is out of the question for many reason and I have tried dabbling in it but gave it up. Of the other two I wished writing was as easy for me as painting is, it would have been my first choice.

Just because writing doesn’t come easy doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t do it. Every time I write I struggle. It doesn’t come easy to many writers. Writing is hard work, and you have to work at it. Most writers don’t have the words flowing effortlessly off their pens or off their fingertips on to the keyboard. They must work at it. If that’s what you want to do keep at it.

Elizabeth, you are correct, any activity that is worthwhile is never easy. I think what it all amounts to is self-fulfillment more so than a money-making proposition whether it is in painting or writing. Most artists have to depend on another income, painters rarely make a living off their artwork. They work for less than a dollar an hour selling their work, and I cannot imagine a writer or a poet is able to make a living off their writing unless they are so well known and consistently in demand that the publisher pays them lump sum in advance for any work they produce. What is important is that we do this first for ourselves. Yes, if our work is appreciated and gives others enjoyment and makes their life richer then that is a wonderful accomplishment even if it is not through monetary gains. But the way I look at it to call myself a writer I need to produce work consistently and it needs to be in a quality that I am satisfied with as the artist or the writer. For me the urge to write is so strong that I keep on trying with the hope that it will become much easier through hard work and in time. But, regardless it is worth the effort.

Why not combine writing and painting? I’m not very experienced in either yet, but I know that my strengths lie in visual storytelling. I’ve always wanted to be an author as a kid, but my imagination is better at conjuring images than words. So I tell stories through pictures. Try doing comics, or writing for animation. That way your experience in visual art will help you transition to writing as well.

Thanks Miko for your suggestion. I do write a monthly newsletter that deals with art subjects. It is actually a blog rather than a newsletter but I call it a newsletter on my website, because it goes only to subscribers. A blog, as I understand it, anyone can read.

The first book in which I became thoroughly engrossed was, ‘Of Human Bondage’, by Somerset Maugham. I was in the story and it was in me and; I was moved for all time by compassion and a strong sense of injustice. From that time onwards I have wanted to write, to put into words what moves humanity and find and record the lives of characters; and what moves, connects and relates difference. I am never sure of what I am writing and how a reader will read and take it to themselves. I am not frightened to write but I am frightened of being misunderstood or failing to relate the awe and wonder of human stories: the astonishment and sheer magic of what we are – the human condition of joy and sorrow, pain and death. So, having written that, I don’t know if it makes any sense at all or that where I am coming from will be rubbished. That’s what I fear. (164)

I think you are so on point Joe, especially about why we write. Orwell was definitely wrong. Your story about reading a Tale of Two cities and feeling relieve because of finally you Dickens understood something you were hungering for, something you wanted to hear, that’s where the power of writing is. In the connections.

Thank you, for making it so explicit because now we can easily tap into this internal motivation. I’ve had one great poetry teacher that told me, “whenever you write, address it to someone, whether it’s Rilke or your father.” The takeaway: as we write, the clarity of who we want to connect with is so important. Or the writing will suffer from a lack of personality, clarity and purpose.

Hi, Joe, here is my 15 minute Practice written for the person I’m thinking of:

Marie could look back over her life and see in all clarity how she became a member of the middle classes. It wasn’t her background, she was classed as Traditional Working Class. It wasn’t her money because what she had ever had she couldn’t hang on to. It wasn’t her education either. Marie never passed a scholarship or earned a diploma or a degree. She wasn’t very attractive or well-groomed: in fact she was rather plain and not a little bit peculiar looking. Yet she was personable, articulate and had a great sense of humour and seemed, on the front of it, quite creative.

Marie was just the sort of person the Church needed and it nearly killed her. She moved from pew to ministry training, to ordination and to being the vicar of seven parishes. Then she became lost in the class gaps. Marie never fitted; couldn’t keep up, felt socially excluded by the middle class, university culture and wealth of the national church. These days she keeps in touch, but only just. She spends her time whittling wood or drinking wine in the local pub and talks frequently to anyone who will listen about the socialisation of the Christian Church. (202)

Oooo, this is a fascinating character. I like this piece as a third-person narrator giving background, but it doesn’t feel like the story got started. The good thing is, this lays out an interesting story I’d like to read more of. And if Marie is in anyway related to the person you’re thinking of, I’m sure they’d find a character like this refreshing.

Marie is no relation of the person I’m thinking of, Ariel. But it is because of the kind of person I’m thinking of: middle class, wealthy, educationally and socially well-connected, that Marie finds herself alienated, (like so many others of her class), whittling wood and drinking wine in pubs. Marie simply doesn’t fit. The Church has almost lost a priest. That is Marie’s story thus far.

Ohh I see. That honestly makes it even more intriguing.

I posed this question to myself yesterday and I realized what the problem was – I cant ( and dont from past experiences) cant writ when I am happy in a relationship. Right now I am happy. When I am unhappy I can write what I want to happen. So if I want to continue writing and I do, I need to find another way to write or another style instead of love stories. Thats my new challenge.

Hi Debra. Someone once told me that for him living and writing were counterparts. When he is unhappy he writes happy storries and whan he is happy he is able to write unhappy storries. I wish you all the best and that your happy relationship opens a the door to a new dimension of writing.

Thanks Ingo I am exploring other ways to create from nothing, we’ll see what happens

To my childish heart I know that you are scared. You think you can never do it on your own. And there is nobody who can explain to how to do it. Don’t be scared. At least you found Socrates. You discovered that you are a bit like him. Asking people strange questions. Make them feel uncomfortable. Wondering about them self. He made you wonder about yourself and question yourself, what you know. But that was ok. It was more than that. It felt great. Oida ouk eidos – I know that I know nothing. These words solaced you. To know nothing was nothing to be ashamed of. On the contrary. It was fundamental. It was the first step on your journey to the truth.

Just a simple ‘thank you’, Ingo …

When I was a little girl, I would make little books out of “post it” notes and staple them together. I would have a title and “Scribble” the interior as the words. It looked so cute from what I remember. That was my 1st book. I think I have improved and have grown so much from that time……

That’s really cute! I think the whole process of kids discovering the writer in themselves is always a gem. I have fond memories myself–my “diaries” were more stories than anything else

Many thanks for your post, Joe. I write because I love it and because I would like to share my stories. I honestly admit that years back, I wanted to write for fun and money, but not for money any more. Writing is my favourite passtime. It takes my mind off every day problems and allows me to share my character’s lives. When writing, I also wish to satisfy myself by creating ‘good’ content, with choice words, descriptions, and a flowing, interesting text. To achieve this I’m constantly learning from posts on The Write Practice and dipping into manuals like The Elements of Style. Editing more than once, certainly improves my story as does re-reading it after a week or two. ! wish I could write like you, Joe, or like Hemmingway, Bronte, Steinbeck and many modern writers, too.

I haven’t done the exercise you sugggested, but will do.

The Writer and The Critic

“I am going to write a novel. I am going to write several pages a day until it is done. I will nurture my creative side with fun outings and buy pretty pens and pretty journals.” “Shut the hell up, you dumb red-head before I pimp slap you into hell.” The critic said. He pulled up a gold throne and took his place in my writing space. He smelled like crack smoke and looked like Don King mixed with Mr. T. I wrote some days and some days I procrastinated. The critic lit a smelly pipe and blew smoke in my face all day, every day. “I am writing. You should go away.” I begged, tears welling up in my brown eyes. “Bitch, I am here to stay. Turn up that reggae. I like that shit.” “Get the hell outta here, you fat pig mutha….. I hate you and what you stand for. I am going to write no matter what. It is my destiny. I am a red-headed bitch that is gonna write mutha…..and I don’t give a…..” I screamed at the obese black devil man. “I will go for awhile but I will return. It is a struggle and will always be a struggle. But one thing I hate is a woman who yells at me with confidence. I can’t handle a confident woman.” The critic whined then hauled ass. Poof, he was gone but the smell lingered. I sprayed with Glade then typed a few pages. I felt like a million bucks.

This was surprisingly moving! Part of me wants to suggest you rewrite it a couple of times, but a bigger part of me likes the “unfinished” quality of this piece.

I will not rewrite it. It is a true declaration of what my critic is like. He is a hatefilled stank mofo who I have to regulate daily. And he is capable of hitting and biting.

I have never been the kind of guy who was into reading or writing but then one day, when I hit the rock bottom of my life, I just got an idea for a story. An idea which didn’t let me sleep for countless nights till I bled it out. Given the fact that the idea was largely influenced by my experiences in personal life, I decided to name the story ‘Upset’. The word ‘upset’ has two meanings, one which means the state of anxiety, anger, guilt, etc. which summarises most of my life and the other, is an unexpected outcome of a fight which is how I hope my story ends. I am writing this story for all those people who have caused me pain, for the those boys who held me by my collar and pushed me into a wall, for those teachers who thought that I could never achieve anything in life and for those girls who rejected me for whatever reason. And don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to explain my pain to them, I am trying to hurt them back. I am not seeking to build a connection but to severe the connection between me and all of them. Writing about the helpless situations that I found myself in and the mistakes that I made on my own accord gives me a mild feeling of immoral satisfaction. I just simply do not seek anything more glorious than that from my writing.

Ironically, after reading this a dear friend asked about my trip to see BABYMETAL in Chicago last month. This is what I wrote:

BABYMETAL Live at Chicago’s House of Blues

As you know, I had been looking forward to the concert for a long time – nearly six months! The morning of the show, I woke to Doki Doki Morning.

I saw my wife off to work and our daughter off to school. I had had breakfast, shaved, and wore the outfit I had put together during my months-long wait. The outfit included the kitsune (fox) necklace I had made. The fox is BABYMETAL’s symbol.

I hopped into our new Chevy Trax, clicked OnStar and asked them to download directions to my vehicle. I listened to BABYMETAL the whole way, but I didn’t drive to the House of Blues. No way I was going to drive in “the city” on a night that was supposed to be fun! Instead, I drove to the Metra train station in Morton Grove, Illinois. I arrived and paid for my parking. Two bucks covered 24 hours, and I knew I’d be back long before then. It was about 10 a.m. I had a brief wait for the train and boarded. I didn’t get any weird looks from people, probably because I was pretty close to Chicago at that point, and there are all kinds of interesting-looking people there.

There was a Cubs game that day. (I think it was opening day, actually.) Several people on the train wore their Chicago Cubs gear, and there were even some children whose parents had pulled them out of school for the game. That made me feel good. More people at the ball game meant fewer people at the concert. Not that it would have mattered, as I found out.

Most of the passengers deboarded at Wrigley Field (home of the Cubs). I rode on. Oh, and my train ride only cost me five bucks. I wasn’t on a tight budget, and I was doing exceptionally well!

I arrived at Union Station. I pulled out my smart phone and opened the navigation app. (We live in the future!) I tapped in House of Blues and was easily guided through the streets of Chicago. Since I didn’t know where the House of Blues was, I figured I’d find it first, then pick out a nearby place to have some lunch. Very near Union Station, I passed by Al’s, a restaurant known for its Italian beef sandwiches. I wasn’t sure I wanted to walk all the way back to Al’s, but I made a mental note of it.

Before I even arrived, I saw the huge letters standing out from the side of the building declaring “House of Blues.” My heart leapt! I was nearly there!

As I approached I saw people standing outside. Not many, but some. The House of Blues was across the street from me, but looking I could see one person in a skeleton hoodie, and some others with various BABYMETAL T-shirts. Since I had no one with me, I figured I should cross the street and introduce myself. Maybe I could find a friend.

I passed the House of Blues so I could cross at the corner. Walking back toward the venue, I saw another group of people. There were more of them than in the first group I had seen. They were waiting in a roped-off queue. These were obviously the people with VIP tickets. I did not have a VIP ticket. VIP tickets cost an extra $200 and supposedly get the purchaser closer to the stage. (Because of the way the House of Blues is set up, this turned out not to be the case, making VIP tickets essentially worthless.) The purchaser does not get to meet BABYMETAL or the Kami Band (the band which plays behind the trio. Kami is a pun: Kami means “gods,” and in English the band is referred to as “The Gods of Metal.” But kami also means “hair.” Thus, the trio is backed by a hair band. Har har!). They do not get a photo of the girls (autographed or otherwise). They don’t even get a T-shirt. I wasn’t going to pay $200 just to get closer to the stage.

When I came to the first group I had spotted (three people at this point), I said, “I think I’ve found friends” and flashed a kitsune (“fox,” but also the name of the handsign BABYMETAL invented. It is a modified “devil’s horns” sign seen at other metal concerts.).

“You have,” a young woman said, and for a moment I thought she was going to take my hand. She didn’t, but she was most inviting. Introductions were made. There was Jay, an Asian man of about my age, Alex, a young man with kinky brown hair, and the young woman, Ruby. Alex immediately took over the conversation. He was very excited. He had seen BABYMETAL live before, and was certain we were in for a treat. He was an enthusiastic metalhead, and insisted BABYMETAL is very much a metal band (something which is hotly debated online). Soon enough two other people joined us. One was Mike, Ruby’s boyfriend (husband? Her “man?”). The other was Dylan, a 19-year-old from Wisconsin! Alex immediately began telling them how much they were going to enjoy the concert and how metal the band is.

“I’m not into metal,” Dylan said. “At all.” It took a moment for us to realize he was serious. It turns out Dylan enjoys electronic music. He loves the novelty of BABYMETAL, including their music. But comparisons to Metallica or Iron Maiden don’t impress him. That was when I realized what I had read about BABYMETAL fans was true: They come from all different backgrounds, and have a wide variety of tastes.

Dylan, as I’ve said, came from Wisconsin, but the Northern end of the state, almost in Minnesota. Ironically, BABYMETAL would be performing just a few miles from his home the very next day. But he had come to Chicago to see them because they would be performing at a festival, whereas they were the sole act at the House of Blues.

Mike and Ruby had come from Texas. They explained they were spending the weekend in Chicago, mostly so they could tell their friends back home that they went to Chicago for a vacation and not just to see BABYMETAL. They actually had few plans for what they would do for the rest of the weekend.

Another person joined our group, another Asian man. Jay recognized him and introduced him as Zach. Jay and Zach began talking to each other in Japanese! Here was my chance to practice a bit with them. Turns out they are both Japanese. Jay now lives in California, and Zach is working for a company in Ohio. They met at a previous BABYMETAL concert. In fact, Jay had just seen them a few days earlier in Boston. (It must be nice to have that kind of money.)

I was rapidly making friends with this group. By now others had shown up. There was a woman whose outfit left no doubt she was a BABYMETAL fan. She had brought snacks to share and games to play while waiting in line. I wondered what she would do with her backpack when we entered the venue, but it turned out they had bins for all kinds of extra gear. There was also a young man from the south side of Chicago who was being very funny. I made the mistake of saying how funny he was and for the next four or more hours he never shut up. He only had about 30 minutes of good material.

Mike had disappeared, but he returned and was talking to Ruby. They let us in on a secret (a secret which Mike admitted he wasn’t sure he wanted to share): Anyone who goes to the restaurant at the House of Blues and spends a minimum of $20 can skip ahead of the line we were in, entering immediately after the VIP line. This was our chance to get something to eat and get a good spot in the hall! All of our little group went, except for Alex. I’m not sure if he didn’t have any money, or what, but he didn’t choose to go with us.

The food was excellent (I ordered a French dip sandwich) and reasonably priced. We actually had a hard time getting to $20! Fortunately we could supplement our meal with purchases from the gift shop to make the $20. Mike bought a fedora (ala Blues Brothers) which looked great on him, and I bought some chocolate bars to share in the line, which seemed appropriate since one of BABYMETAL’s songs is Gimme Chocolate.

We only had about three more hours to wait until they opened the doors. (And another hour and a half inside before the show started, Dylan noted.) A few people walked the length of the line making videos with their cell phones as the rest of us threw up kitsune. (I don’t say kitsunes because nouns in Japanese are both singular and plural.)

Soon a white limousine drove by. “There they are!” I cried and waved a kitsune in the limo’s direction. Some waved kitsune, but others laughed, assuming I was joking. It seems reasonable to me that if you are waiting for a show featuring celebrities and a limo drives by, there is a very good chance the celebs are riding in that limo. In any case the comedian we had met was still cracking what he thought were jokes and missed the limo entirely. He apparently thought I was saying the fire hydrant across the street looked like the members of BABYMETAL.

The powers that be moved us to just behind the VIP line, then moved us again when the VIP line got long. Two girls in Japanese kawaii outfits walked by with their parents. “かわいいね！” I exclaimed.

“かわいい。かわいい、” Jay agreed.

Not long after the limo drove by, Jay showed us a Twitter post on his phone. It was from the House of Blues, and showed BABYMETAL in their street clothes rehearsing for the show.

“That means they’re right on the other side of this wall!” I said to Dylan. He and I both jumped and squealed, flapping our hands like a couple of penguin flapping their wings. An awkward moment of silence followed.

“We totally fangirled on that,” I said.

“Yeah we did,” Dylan agreed.

When the doors finally opened for our group, we were instructed to form two lines, men on the right and women on the left. This was so security could frisk us. I was surprised how casual the frisking was. The guy found my wallet, keys and phone, but did not even check my legs, socks, the small of my back or my waistband. It would be pretty easy to sneak something in. This was also where people put backpacks, etc. into the bins.

When we went into the concert hall, our little group was separated. Jay and Zach had balcony seats. I was on the main floor, and the others had a spot in the モシュシュ (mosh’sh, a word invented by BABYMETAL. It is supposed to be a mosh pit in which no one gets hurt; all of the fun and no violence. As it turns out, that is exactly what it is.). I was not as close as I had hoped, but I was as close as I could get without being in the モシュシュ. In fact, I could look over the pit, so that was a good thing.

The concert started and the excitement in the air was almost a tangible thing. I forgot to mention that Alex had suggested ear plugs, insisting the show would be extremely loud. Everyone turned down his suggestion. Dylan said he would be deaf by the time he is 30 anyway, and I said as an old guy who has listened to a lot of rock n’ roll with headphones at high volumes, it was too late for me. As it turned out, the show was not unusually loud. I’ve heard much louder concerts. I don’t know if that was because of the band or the venue.

Probably the biggest thing BABYMETAL has brought to metal is dance. Iron Maiden and Slipknot aren’t dancing around the stage, but BABYMETAL is. When they performed Karate I had my first hint that this would be an unusual concert. The song is not about karate, but rather about striving to do one’s best, even against seemingly impossible odds. At one point in the song, the three girls collapsed onto the stage. Su-metal struggled to her feet then helped the other two to stand, singing the encouraging refrain as she did. I realized there was symbolism in their dancing. This didn’t surprise me, as there is a lot of symbolism in their lyrics. (That may be the subject of another missive, if you’re interested.)

They have fun songs, of course, touching on the joys of eating chocolate or chewing bubble gum. They performed these as well. But then came a part of the show in which the stage went dark, almost (but not quite) completely black. We could hear the girls speaking in English, telling about how the Fox God (BABYMETAL comes with their own religion) instructed them to tell the world bullying must stop. Then they sang Ijime, Dame, Zettai (Bullying No More, Forever). A partial translation reads:

Those who got hurt were not only I myself,

But also those who kept watching me. It was you.

During the guitar duet, Yuimetal and Moametal engage in a stylized fight as Su-metal covers her eyes, not wanting to see bullying. She then joins in their fight, demonstrating everyone gets hurt by bullying.

I was surprised to find tears in my eyes. I hadn’t expected this concert to be emotional. But there was more to come.

For a finale, they performed The One entirely in English. This time I was outright bawling as they sang about how we are all one and that we are strongest when we are united.

The last notes of The One faded as the audience cheered. The trio exited and I was in shock. Here I was at a concert featuring three teenage girls and I was crying my eyes out. Of course I didn’t want it to end (I’m sure none of us did), so I began to shout, “アンコレ！アンコレ！(Encore! Encore!)” But the audience was very American, and began to chant “Ba-by met-al.” They didn’t even attempt the Japanese pronunciation bebimetal.

After an appropriate hiatus, the three returned and sang Road of Resistance. It was a fitting end to the concert with an inspiring sing-along portion.

When they had finished singing, Moametal said, “You make me sooo happy!” (Yes, in English!) Yuimetal followed with, “I’m so happy to see you!” Then Su-metal wrapped it all up with a nice, brief speech, also entirely in English (their English is better than my Japanese). Then they gave their signature “See you!” and exited.

After the show I reconnected with Mike and Ruby, Jay and Zach. The crowd to purchase merchandise after the show was very thick, so I didn’t bother. I figure I can get all of that stuff on Ebay anyway.

There was an after party in a sort-of private bar at the House of Blues, but it was noisy, so I didn’t stay. It was pouring rain outside, but when it had slacked off a bit I called an Uber car. I’ve driven for Uber, but this was my first time as a passenger. I think my services are slicker, just sayin’. That turned out to be the most expensive part of my experience, going just over the $20 I had spent on lunch. I went back to the train station, got in my SUV and drove home, listening to BABYMETAL the whole way.

There are some details I’ve left out, such as the fact that the interior of the House of Blues is one of the gaudiest I’ve ever seen. I may edit this someday, but right now I want to get it to you.

Thanks for being my friend and taking an interest in what interests me.

All love, Bruce

“Where’s Eaton?”

I roll my eyes. The question everyone loves to ask me and that I never have an answer to. “Really, Mom? I don’t know.”

She stops whirling at the pot over the stove. Then reaching for the sugar, she asks, “Well why don’t you ever know?”

Shouldn’t the question be, why is he never here, or, why don’t you ever know where he is? I stand up from the table. “You’ve been asking me this question since I was five. And, I always give you the same answer. No one will ever know where he is. Just accept that, Mom.” I shrug.

She whines. “Well I can’t just accept that, I care about him and he’s your brother. And he doesn’t talk to me but once a year—if that!”

I shift my weight, glancing at the bright green palm leaves swaying by the window. “I’m going to go find him.”

Mom smiles. “Conversation always goes the same way, doesn’t it?”

I turn away, holding back an eye roll. I guess that’s why they always ask me.

It’s really their fault for naming their son after the cousin they themselves could never find. Like a…modern-day pirate, or something. Or a nomad sage. Maybe I should start at the top of the hill. I’ll find him standing at cliff’s edge breathing in ocean spray. Running away from wife and children.

I slap the yellow wall on the way out. “This is ridiculous! He lives right down the street!”

“Huh?” Mom’s already moved her mind on to other things. Must be nice having children to do your dirty work.

I step into the bright sunlight, plop into my car. I start the engine and roll slowly out the gravel driveway. The sun beams off my old yellow house. I sigh, rolling down the windows. First day back home, and I’m looking for Eaton. I have to laugh.

Welcome home indeed.

This is great! I love the fascinating twist of the two Eatons and the reason why. And I like the hints of lost Eaton’s personality and the guesses of where he might be. I’m guessing lost Eaton is a frequent topic of discussion if he’s the one the narrator assumed Mom was asking about.

The line “Well I can’t just accept that, I care about him and he’s your brother. And he doesn’t talk to me but once a year—if that!” doesn’t sound quite natural and true as dialogue to me. The sentiment does, but not the words. On the flip side, you’ve done a great job of sprinkling in action and description to keep the scene moving and show us what’s going on and how the characters are responding to each other. Nicely done, and thank you for sharing!

Thanks Alice! Yes, I see what you’re saying. Thanks for pointing that out. I appreciate the feedback!

I know you’re feeling alone right now. I know you feel like no one ever could or ever will feel the way you do. I’m not here to tell you everything will get better, that God will make a way (although he will.) I’m just here to sit and listen.

Why do you feel so lonely? You’re part of a race of 6 billion people. Not even counting all those who have gone before you, or all those who are still to come. Yet isn’t it strange that out of six billion, out of the millions you share your city with, the thousands who stream past you on your way to work, the hundreds you bump shoulders and jostle with on the train, and the multitudes of colleagues in your office, you still feel so alone?

You aren’t alone. I know this sounds like a platitude, but it’s true. Going on statistics alone, at least one person – whether alive or dead, whether known to you or not – has felt the same way you’re feeling right now. And statistics don’t lie. (42% of statistics are made up on the spot.)

I want to sit here and listen. I know how it feels to have so many people talking to you (talking at you?) and not a single one of them listening. I was laid off recently. Friends, family, well-wishers from all corners of life, saturating me with texts and Facebook messages and well-meaning advice. I hear this firm still has vacancies, have you considered applying there, why don’t you become an academic? And yes, they listened at the start, to my answers to their opening questions. How are you feeling? Have you started applying? But would you want to stay there anyway? But after a while, their voices took over. And I was alone in a storm of well-meaning advice.

Hey, you just used the phrase ‘well-meaning advice’ twice in the same paragraph. That’s not good form. But that’s okay, because I’m not here to pepper you with a beautiful speech. I’m here to listen.

Why do you feel so lonely? Really dig down deep – why? Are you trapped in a family where love is in short supply? Are you stuck in a career where no one values your contributions? Do you bear all the trappings of success yet feel that something deeper inside you is missing? I don’t know what your situation is, and maybe you don’t either. After I was laid off, I was depressed for weeks, and it had nothing to do with my prospects for finding another job. But maybe putting a finger on why you feel the way you do could be the first step to finding a way out.

And that’s another thing. If you don’t want to find a way out, that’s fine too. It’s perfectly alright to feel alone. It’s perfectly alright not to want to do anything about it. I struggled so much with feelings of legitimacy when I was laid off. Almost an anxiety-inception: first you get anxious that you’ve been laid off, then you get anxious that you are anxious that you’ve been laid off. After all, shouldn’t I be moving on? There’s still so much that I have – good friends and good family and good health – so why am I still so depressed? Why can’t I just suck it up and get on with life?

I don’t know if you’ve watched the movie Inside Out, but there’s a reason why it’s one of my favourites. Because it reminds us that sadness is legitimate. It’s okay to feel sad. You don’t always have to banish her to a little chalk box in the corner so that joy can run your life instead. And it’s okay to feel lonely. You don’t have to feel like it’s only okay to feel lonely for X amount of time, before it suddenly becomes Not Okay.

I don’t know who you are, and probably never will. Yet I hope reading this helped you somehow. That you found a listening ear, even though you didn’t say a word.

Take care. And remember that you’re not alone.

This is a great list of questions! I’m going to use them in my author about page.

I found your fifth question really interesting. It touches on the one topic that I believe can’t be set in stone, that some write to explore what they can not. Others write what they know. More often than not it ends up being a hybrid of the two.

I have to say that the most interesting life of a writer I’ve come across has had to have been Tolkien. To have been in the trenches of Verdun? You see that in nearly all of his writing he stays away from any themes connected to the War, but then you have the Dead Marshes.

I used to write for the joy of losing myself in a story, for the satisfaction of the words tumbling out on to the page. Words transcribed from Voices in my head. I used to write. So it was interesting reading this article and questioning why I used to call myself a writer and why I stopped. It’s been a whole year now since the voices and the urgency stopped. Interesting ( for me at least) too t I should chose to write a reply. Maybe, just maybe that small flame can be rekindled. Thanks Joe

I write because my characters have been following me for the last twenty years and they want their story to be told this is the third attempt putting their lives on paper (in my case on computer) even though I know the ending, I’m coming close this last four chapters are proving the most challenging but I just love being in their world and knowing them, yes I feel like they are good and bad friends this is why I write

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How to Become a Better Writer: 18 Actionable Tips to Use Today

Alana Chase

With over 10 years’ experience in editing and editorial team management, Alana serves as Eleven's Head of Editing, aiding editors in creating top-quality content and overseeing recruitment to ensure only the best of the best join Eleven’s ranks. A seasoned digital journalist and writer, Alana holds an MA in Creative Writing and is accomplished in spearheading content strategy at high-growth media startups.

Becoming a better writer can feel overwhelming. You’re brimming with ideas and bursting with passion, but figuring out which advice to follow and where you need to improve can leave you feeling discouraged.

Our editors at Eleven have coached hundreds of writers in improving their skills and unlocking their full potential. Now, we’re here to lend you the same helping hand.

In this article, we’ll share 18 tips — plus plenty of resources — that can transform you into a stronger, more confident writer.

Let’s dive in!

Establish a writing habit

Like practicing any skill regularly, consistently writing helps you improve over time, allowing you to steadily build up your experience and confidence.

Make writing part of your regular routine — but start small so you don’t overwhelm yourself. Set aside 10-15 minutes per day to write, then steadily increase the number of minutes as you get more comfortable.

You may find it helpful to write at the same time each day, such as before your morning coffee or an hour before bed. Or, you can write whenever you’d like to.

You needn’t set rules about what to write during dedicated writing time, either. You can “brain dump” (where you write anything that comes to mind), do some reflective journaling, flesh out a story you’ve been mulling over, explore new ideas, or refine your existing work. The important thing is to put pen to paper or fingers to keys each day.

As you’re forming your habit, you can use a personal productivity app such as Habitica , Streaks , or Way of Life to track your writing streaks.

Reading more is one of the easiest ways to improve your writing skills. It opens you up to different writing styles, narrative structures, storytelling techniques, and modes of expression. You can also see well-constructed sentences and proper grammar usage in action, get exposed to convincing arguments, understand how to convey emotions and ideas in writing, and more.

Essentially, by reading regularly, you passively learn from established writers , absorbing what makes their writing compelling so you can apply it to your own work.

You can read anything you’d like, but we recommend reading across genres and forms to broaden your perspective. For example, try reading blog articles and short stories, novels and non-fiction books, etc.

Take notes on what you read. What do you enjoy about it? What do you feel makes it strong writing? Doing this helps you pinpoint techniques you can use in your writing.

Do your research

The best writing is well-researched writing. Strong research adds depth and credibility to your work, which helps secure readers’ trust and interest. Solid research skills also make it easier to present convincing arguments and convey your ideas clearly — both hallmarks of excellent writing.

No matter what you’re writing, take the time to dive into your topics and collect information from reliable sources. These include digital libraries and databases like JSTOR and Google Scholar , reputable outlets like the BBC and the New York Times , and academic journals like Nature .

Check the authority of the websites you get your information from using Ahrefs, which calculates sites’ domain ratings (DR). The higher the score, the more authoritative the source.

Additionally, get into the habit of fact-checking and cross-referencing information to ensure accuracy. Snopes is one of the best fact-checking tools available, and Reuters has tons of articles confirming or denying recent news reports. Pepper Content also has a great guide on fact-checking for beginners .

Never forget to outline

An outline serves as the roadmap for your writing , ensuring solid structure and good flow — both markers of excellent writing. (In fact, “Structure & Flow” is one of the seven areas Eleven’s editors focus on when editing articles.)

Take the time to create an outline before you start drafting. You can create your outlines using pen and paper, a mind-mapping tool like MindMeister , or your favorite word processor — e.g., Microsoft Word or Google Docs.

Begin by jotting down your main ideas, then expand on each with supporting ideas and details. Be sure to add an introduction and conclusion to your outline, too.

Here’s an example outline for a short blog post on how to choose the best gaming laptop:

Introduction
What to Look For in Gaming Laptops
Performance
Processor speed and capabilities
Graphics card specifications
RAM and storage capacity
Display and graphics
Screen size and resolution
Refresh rate and response time
Graphics quality and technology
Portability and design
Weight and dimensions
Build quality and materials
Keyboard and overall aesthetics

Brush up on grammar

You don’t have to be a grammar whiz to be a great writer, but knowing the basics (punctuation rules, subject-verb agreement, etc.) can go a long way in helping you communicate your ideas clearly.

A good grasp of grammar also allows you to catch and correct minor mistakes before submitting your work to an editor or a client or publishing it online. It makes your writing feel more polished and professional.

Here are some of our favorite resources for improving your grammar knowledge:

Eleven’s Grammar Guides , created by expert editors
Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab
Grammarly’s Complete Guide to English Grammar
The “Language Rules” section of Scribbr’s knowledge base (especially great for academic writing)

There are also many grammar checkers you can use — we’ll cover those later in this article.

Avoid passive voice

Passive voice — where the subject of a sentence is being acted upon — can make your writing seem stiff and dull.

The opposite of passive voice is active voice , where the subject of a sentence performs an action. Active voice injects energy into writing and makes it easier to read by emphasizing who/what is doing the action.

For example:

Passive voice: “The cake is being eaten by the children.”
Active voice: “The children are eating the cake.”

An easy way to ensure you use active voice is to place the “doer” of the action (e.g., “the children”) at the start of your sentence. Then, include the action (e.g., “are eating”) and what’s receiving the action (e.g., “the cake”).

Use powerful verbs

Swapping adverb phrases for powerful verbs is an easy, effective way to level up your writing. This is because powerful verbs convey specific emotions and actions, making your work more vivid and impactful .

❌ Eliza walked slowly.

✅ Eliza crept.

Why it works: This paints a vivid picture of Eliza’s movements and evokes a sense of fear. The result is an immersive sentence that captures the reader’s imagination.

Check out this list of strong verbs for inspiration.

Being concise means using fewer words to get your points across. Concision helps writers communicate clearly and keep their readers engaged by avoiding unnecessary details.

Below are some quick ways to increase concision in your work.

Trim unnecessary words/phrases

For example:

“At this point in time” → “Now”

“Due to the fact that…" → “Because”

“Despite the fact that…” → “Although”

“Last but certainly not least…” → “Lastly”

Eliminate redundancies

“absolutely essential” → “essential”

“evolve over time” → “evolve”

“desirable benefits” → “benefits”

“future plans” → “plans”

“unexpected surprise" → "surprise"

“repeat again” → “repeat”

Simplify sentence structure

“Due to the fact that it was raining, we decided to stay indoors.” →

“We stayed indoors because it was raining.”

Avoid throat-clearing

❌“It’s important to remember that…”

❌“Note, however, that…”

❌“It is essential to point out that…”

Consider your audience

Regardless of what you’re writing, you should know who you’re writing for . This ensures your message resonates with the readers you’re targetting.

Consider their backgrounds, knowledge levels, and expectations as you write, and tailor your tone and style accordingly. For example, writing for a tech-savvy audience may allow for more jargon, while a general audience might need simpler language.

Remembering why your audience is reading your work is just as important. For example, are they looking for a solution to a problem? Ensure you provide them with practical, how-to advice. Do they want to be entertained? Then check your work has a compelling story, interesting characters, and moments of humor or suspense.

Fully explain your ideas

Being a great writer involves expressing your ideas fully and clearly, leaving no room for confusion . This is especially important in academic, professional, persuasive, and blog writing.

Start by outlining your main ideas, then build on them with additional details. This ensures you won’t forget any points as you write your first draft.

As you write, break down any complex concepts into smaller, simpler parts. Support your ideas with examples, analogies, and how-to advice where appropriate. For example, say you’re discussing the mathematical concept of algorithms. You might compare algorithms to a recipe, where you follow steps to reach a certain outcome.

This way, your work will be clear and easy to follow — even if you’re writing about intricate or technical topics.

Write strong introductions and conclusions

Introductions and conclusions are the bookends to your writing. Both need to be strong or else your work will lack structure, feel incomplete, and fail to engage your audience.

Introductions open the door to your ideas, inviting readers in and sparking their curiosity. You either appeal to their emotions or speak to their pain points.

Conclusions, on the other hand, can sum up your main thoughts and urge the reader to take action, pack a big emotional punch, or emphasize your core argument.

This is what Eleven’s editors look for in blog article introductions :

Identifies the target audience and their main pain point(s). Uses the right tone and vocabulary for the audience; mentions specific, relevant, and relatable challenges that the audience may face.
Concise and to the point, with no fluff, rambling, throat-clearing, or preamble.
"Hooks" the reader by providing a unique and actionable solution, benefit, or desired outcome to be expanded upon in the article.
Includes a short bridge into the article, appropriate for the audience. For example: “In this article...”, “Below, you’ll find...”, “Keep reading for...”

And here’s what our editors look for in blog article conclusions :

Conclusion concisely summarizes main points of the article and contains no new information or perspectives.
Avoid literal summaries — e.g., “In this article, you learned...” or “This articlecovered 5 tips for...”

Eleven’s Head of Operations, Christian Rigg, has also written excellent guides on writing strong introductions and crafting excellent blog article conclusions . You can apply these tips to academic and persuasive writing, too.

For creative writers , here are some resources to check out:

“ How to Write the Perfect Ending for Your Novel ” from MasterClass
“ 7 Tips for Writing Effective Endings to Short Stories ” from Writer’s Digest
“ How to End a Story: 7 Tips for Fiction Writers ” from Reedsy
“ The Dos and Don’ts of Novel Endings ” from Writer’s Digest

Don’t fear imperfections

To become a better writer, you’ll need to let go of the idea of perfection in your first draft. First drafts aren’t meant to be flawless finished products — they’re a starting point for your ideas.

As novelist Stephen King puts it, “[The first draft] is completely raw, the sort of thing I feel free to do with the door shut — it's the story undressed, standing up in nothing but its socks and undershorts.”

So, don’t get bogged down with self-editing and rewriting while drafting. Instead, just focus on capturing your thoughts in your first draft. You can refine your phrasing, structure, style, and anything else you’d like in subsequent drafts.

Read your writing aloud

Reading your work out loud is a fantastic way to gauge your writing’s flow, clarity, concision, and more. It’s also perfect for ensuring you’re striking the right tone for your audience — e.g., formal or casual.

Verbalizing your writing allows you to catch confusing phrases, run-on sentences, paragraphs that lack cohesion, awkward transitions, sections that need more detail or context, etc. In doing so, you spot the exact areas to improve your work .

Not a fan of your own voice? Ask a trusted friend, family member, or peer to read your work aloud. Or, you can use text-to-speech tools such as NaturalReader .

Edit, edit, edit

The best writers are also strong self-editors: They can carefully analyze and polish their writing so it’s clear and valuable to their audience.

Plus, the more you edit your work, the better you'll understand what you’re good at and where you can improve — making you a more effective writer over time.

Nailing self-editing isn’t as difficult as you may think, either. At Eleven, we’ve developed a simple, three-stage process for self-editing :

First Pass (5 minutes per 1,000 words): Read your work and ensure it answers the reader’s question, is focused and doesn’t go off on tangents, provides value, and speaks to your target audience. Flag any areas that need adjusting and rewrite them.
Second Pass (15-20 minutes per 1,000 words): Edit individual sentences and adjust specific words and phrases. Ensure your writing is concise, the tone matches your intended audience and stays consistent, your writing is clear (without any vagueness), and you use active voice wherever possible.
Third Pass (5 minutes per 1,000 words): Check for spelling and grammar errors. Pay close attention to punctuation mistakes (e.g., “its” versus “it’s”), misused commas, commonly confused words (e.g., “they’re,” “their,” and “there”), compound words (e.g., “everyday” the adjective and “every day” to describe frequency), and subject-verb agreement errors (e.g., “The dogs is barking” versus “The dogs are barking”).

Be open to feedback

Learning to accept and act on feedback is a huge part of becoming a better writer. It isn’t a judgment on worth but rather an opportunity for you to improve . Even successful authors continually learn and evolve through constructive criticism!

Start by seeking input from your peers, and consider joining writing communities like Critique Circle and Scribophile to connect and exchange feedback with fellow writers. (Eleven also has its own writing community—launching soon.)

When requesting feedback, ask for notes on areas you felt you struggled with, such as pacing or character development. Then, polish up your work based on the feedback you receive.

Take advantage of writing tools

Improving as a writer becomes easier with the help of writing tools. These don’t just correct your grammar — they can also teach you how to write more concisely, help expand your vocabulary, provide instant feedback, improve your narrative structure skills, and more.

Below are some of our favorite writing tools.

Grammarly : Corrects grammar and spelling and provides suggestions for sentence structure, word choice, tone, and more to boost clarity and coherence. Grammarly also has a generative AI feature with several tools to improve and expand your writing.
Hemingway Editor : Highlights spelling and grammar errors, flags complex sentences, and suggests simpler alternatives. It aims to make your writing easier to read by encouraging you to use straightforward language and active voice.
Wordtune : An AI-powered editing tool that flags spelling and grammar errors and provides suggestions to enhance the tone, style, structure, and clarity of your writing. It has a ton of other generative AI features, too.
ProWritingAid : Like Grammarly, it checks grammar, style, tone, sentence structure, and readability and offers suggestions to make your writing clearer and more engaging. You’ll get a “Style Score” and an in-depth “Critique Report” on your writing, outlining strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.
Writefull : Built for academic writing, Writefull provides instant feedback on grammar, vocabulary, tone, and style. It also has five AI widgets to take your writing to the next level.
Thesaurus.com : Online thesaurus that can help you diversify your vocabulary, avoid using repetitive language, and make your writing more expressive. Visit the website or download the app, and enter a word to find synonyms, antonyms, and related words.

ChatGPT . The large language model can be fantastic for brainstorming ideas, creating outlines, receiving feedback, refining sentences, and more. Here’s a great guide on using ChatGPT to improve, not replace, your writing . We have our own guide on 7 Ways to Humanize AI content and Maintain Your Voice , and we share some ChatGPT prompts to polish up your writing here .

Complete writing exercises, challenges, and courses

Writing exercises stretch and strengthen specific creative muscles, enhancing skills such as character development, dialogue crafting, and plot construction.

Challenges kick things up by introducing constraints or requirements, such as writing a story in 100 words or completing a 50,000-word novel in a month. These help you improve as a writer in various ways — from becoming more adaptable to sticking to deadlines to writing with more creativity and confidence. Check out our list of a year’s worth of writing challenges to get started.

You can also enroll in a writing course to push your creative boundaries, refine your skills while fostering discipline, and learn more about writing as a craft. We’re gearing up to launch our fully online Freelance Writing Mastery course in 2024, and you can sign up for early access right now.

Alternatively, you can browse online platforms like Skillshare or Coursera for writing courses. Or, explore the online and in-person courses that your local university or community college offers. Chances are you’ll find at least a few options covering fiction, nonfiction, business, and academic writing.

SLook for courses marked as “non-degree” or “continuing education.” These are less expensive, short courses that schools offer to those looking to expand their knowledge and skill sets without completing an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree.

Remember your “why”

Regularly reflecting on why you became a writer — or want to become one — can fuel your creative fire and drive your commitment to improvement . Research backs this up: Those with clear, autonomous motivations tend to put in more effort and achieve better results .

Connecting with your purpose also pushes you during challenging moments in your writing journey. You’ll be more likely to “stay the course” and continue growing when you remember what it’s all for — whether to inspire others, leave a lasting impact, or simply savor the joy of creation.

Consider keeping a journal where you can document your writing journey, jot down moments of inspiration, and reaffirm your goals. You can also check out personal development books, such as Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear and Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art , that explore maintaining motivation as a writer.

Becoming a better writer requires the right mix of determination and dedication. Although it doesn’t happen overnight, it doesn’t have to be a drag, either.

We’ve shared 18 practical tips to help you elevate your writing skills — from improving your understanding of grammar, writing concisely, and being less afraid of first-draft messiness to thinking of your audience, remembering to self-edit, and learning to accept and action criticism.

With these tips in your toolkit, your writing journey can only go up from here! If you want to keep up to date with our latest writing tips, <a href="subscribepage.io/RkHP1C">sign up for our newsletter</a>.

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Check Out Our Brand-New 20 Minute Training on How to Make Money as a Grant Writer

Grant Writing 101: What is it & how do you get started?

Have you been thrown into the deep end working at a nonprofit organization and tasked to apply for grant funding for the first time? Maybe you've heard about the field, catching the buzz from a friend starting a grant writing side hustle . Or you've seen how others have pivoted their careers to launch grant writing consultant businesses.

However you found grant writing, we're glad you're here!

Grant writers are perceived to have superpowers—they know how to get free money!

Well, it's not quite that easy. There is no such thing as free money, and grant writing is a lot of hard work.

However, it is very learnable and an incredible skill set to have in your quiver. Even newcomers succeed with the right guidance and training under their belt.

This crash course in grant writing will cover everything you need to know to start approaching grant writing like a boss!

Grant Writing Essentials: Definitions & FAQs

Grant Writing vs. Nonprofit Fundraising

The Grant Writing Process for Beginners

Understanding the grant fundraising landscape, why grant writing is such a valuable skill.

Curious about how to get into grant writing without prior experience? Check out this video to learn more.

Let’s start with the essentials: a few grant writing definitions and frequently asked questions.

What is grant writing?

Grant writing is the process of crafting a written proposal to receive grant funding from a grant making institution in order to fund a program or project.

Grant writing involves laying out your case for why the grant will do the most good for you (or your project or organization). A stellar grant proposal will clearly show the funder that your plan is the best possible choice for accomplishing your shared goals.

Think of grant writing like making a pitch to investors or lenders but to receive funding that you won’t need to pay back.

That begs the question…

What are grants?

A grant is a financial award to support a person, organization, project, or program. It is intended to achieve a specific goal or purpose. Nonprofits can use grants to complete projects, run programs, provide services, or continue running a smooth operation.

Great, now where is all of this money coming from?

Who provides grant funding?

Typically, grants are awarded to organizations from grant making institutions (also called grantors ). These include foundations, corporations, and government agencies.

Grantors provide grants to help further their goals in their communities (or around the country or world) and to support other organizations that do on-the-ground work. These goals are typically philanthropic or social in nature, but grants might also be offered for educational, scientific, or any other purpose.

Grants usually come with very specific guidelines for what the money can and can’t be used for, as well as rules for how the “winner” of the grant (or the grantee ) will report on its progress. When a grant has specific guidelines, we call these funds restricted . Restricted funding means they can only be used for the purposes laid out in the proposal and specified by the funder.

So, can anybody and everybody get grant money?

Who is eligible for grant funding?

Many different types of organizations are eligible to write proposals and apply for grant funding. Most notably, 501(c) nonprofit organizations that have IRS Letters of Determination (basically any type of legit nonprofit).

More specifically, these types of organizations are eligible for grants through grant writing:

Nonprofits/public charities with IRS-recognized status
Unincorporated community groups with fiscal sponsors
Tribal organizations (and sometimes housing authorities)
Faith-based organizations (which sometimes must provide direct social services depending on the grantor’s guidelines)
Local governments

Exciting, right? Grants can do a lot of good for organizations of all sizes. But who’s doing the work?

Who does the actual grant writing and drafts the proposal?

All different kinds of folks! Each organization finds their sweet spot for getting the work done. Grant proposals can be written by:

Employees of eligible organizations
Volunteers lending their time
Freelance grant writers providing a contract-based service
Grant writing consultants who provide organizations with ongoing help through retainer contracts

Successful grant writing leads to positive impacts on real people and real communities. Grant writers put in the elbow grease because they care about charitable organizations and their missions. They want to see their communities thrive.

Is Grant Writing A Good Career For You?

Take the 3 minute personality quiz to find out!

How do you learn grant writing?

Grant writing is a set of specific skills and processes, so it can be taught and learned like any other subject.

There are a few different avenues you can explore to level up your grant writing skills.

DIY Method: You can binge-watch YouTube content to pick up the bits and pieces of grant writing. This is certainly a cost-effective method! However, factoring in the stress of reinventing the wheel while riding the struggle bus of going it alone, you’re spending more time (and $$) in the long run to learn grant writing skills.
Higher-Ed Programs: Several universities offer certifications in nonprofit management, but most do not focus solely on grant writing. For a semester or two, the curriculum will teach you the ins and outs of nonprofit organizations, which includes grant writing. These courses include a university certificate for formal education. The downside, however, is that university programs fall short of helping students bridge the gap between learning the material and actually applying it—in other words, getting paid tp use your newly acquired knowledge in the field.
Online Courses: There’s a wide variety of online courses to help you learn how to become a grant writer. Online education is flexible for those who are looking to add grant writing as a new skill set on top of a full-time schedule (life, work, etc.) or level up their skills. Yes, even if you’re an in-house grant writer working with a nonprofit organization, professional training is applicable. You can check out a roundup of the best grant writing classes here.

Curious about how to break into grant writing without prior experience and with no added debt? The Global Grant Writers Collective is the only program of its kind to show you how to be a world-class grant writer while also building a flexible, fulfilling life you love.

Grant Writing vs. Non Profit Funding

We’ve covered all the basics, but there’s a bit more important context to understand as you launch your grant writing journey.

You know that grants provide funding to organizations to do good work in their communities, but how does this relate to the bigger concept of fundraising?

TL;DR — Grant Writing vs. Fundraising

Fundraising is how you raise money for your organization. Grant writing is one type of fundraising activity. Grant writing includes asking foundations or government entities for support while other fundraising activities usually target individual donors.

What is nonprofit fundraising?

Fundraising is generally defined as the process of soliciting financial support for a cause or project.

Central to the idea of fundraising is the collection of cash donations (although all kinds of assets can be donated). Donations can be collected immediately or over months or years, as is the case for long-term pledges of large donations to capital campaigns.

Fundraising is an essential way for most nonprofits to bring in revenue for their missions. Monies raised through general fundraising activities are often referred to as unrestricted funds and can be used for any expenses, such as staff salaries or rent. Donors can also require that their money be used in a specific (or restricted) way.

Who fundraises, and what do you need to do it?

Nonprofits are the most common group to fundraise. However, other groups like those adorable Girl Scouts selling their highly addictive cookies (our greatest weakness 😋) and people raising funds for mission trips are eligible for fundraising, too.

The only thing you technically need to fundraise is trust from your donors. But when you represent an organization, establishing trust means getting official with a 501(c)(3) designation and publishing an annual report.

Remember that fundraising isn’t so much about asking for money as it is about inviting others who have a passion for what you do to join you in your mission. Once you find them, you can do that work together—the beauty of fundraising!

How is grant writing different from fundraising?

As you can already tell, fundraising has a much broader definition than grant writing.

Fundraising can take many forms, and grant writing falls under that umbrella.

Fundraising usually refers to generating cash donations by:

Building relationships with individual donors
Holding fundraising events
Making public appeals for donations and marketing your organization to the community

When you submit a proposal for a grant, it’s a one-on-one targeted pitch to a funder. You understand their past giving history. You’ve vetted them for mission alignment, and your project meets their goals for impact. The relationship between you and the funder is more formalized (though there is room for personal relationships over time).

With fundraising through individual donors, not through a grant, your approach is less formal. You likely don’t need a lengthy proposal, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a plan. To fundraise from individual donors, you may be soliciting funds from individuals whose circumstances and philanthropic interests are largely unknown to you. Your approach can usually be applied to a wider audience, whereas grant writing targets one organization with specific guidelines.

In either case, relationship-building and strategies like prospect research are very important for nonprofits.

Then what do grant writing and fundraising have in common? In both cases, you need to do research, pursue leads, prepare talking points, evaluate opportunities, and cultivate relationships. The essence of both practices is the same. What is different is the target and approach.

With all the context out of the way, let’s get to the meat and potatoes. How do you actually write a grant proposal? What are the key steps to follow?

Here it is: our signature 7-step process for writing a winning grant. We’ll summarize the key points to understand for each step, but please check out our longer grant writing process explainer for a deep dive into the nitty gritty.

Follow your North Star (the funding guidelines). A funder will provide guidelines for their grant that all applicants need to follow to be considered. Think of these as instructions. Guidelines can vary a lot from one grant to another, so it’s important to never take them for granted (see what we did there?). Download, print, read, and reread the guidelines.
Prepare your narrative skeleton. Every grant should tell a story, but sitting down to write a prizewinning story on a blank page is a lot easier said than done. Give yourself an easier start by outlining your proposal based on the funding guidelines themselves. These are the questions you’ll have to answer, so bake them into your story from the very start. Simple bullet points will do here—no need to lock down full sentences just yet.
Host a kick-off meeting. Gather everyone involved in the project to get on the same page. These are all the people who’ll provide you with the information you need for the grant as well as those who’ll be involved in running the project that it funds. Remember, everyone loves an organized meeting—send an agenda and your narrative skeleton in advance, then a summary of action items after, plus an invite to a progress check-in meeting.
Finalize your grant budget. Next, you need to know how much the project you’re proposing will cost to complete—this budget will impact all other parts of your application. For example, funders often ask for a “budget narrative” that explains how you determined your final numbers. Some grants are structured to provide a percentage of your total costs rather than a flat sum. Grab a copy of our free grant budget template when you’re ready!
Write your narrative fast and furiously. With your budget in hand, now’s the time to start putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys). Review your grant guidelines again, and start filling in your narrative skeleton with the details it needs to paint a compelling picture. We could go on and on with all the tips and hacks we’ve learned—check them out in Step 5 of our grant writing process guide.
Prep your key attachments. Funders usually want more than just your perfectly written document. They often ask for additional attachments like separate budget documents, a resolution, and letters of support. Some attachments, like resolutions, can take a long time to get finalized, which is why understanding your guidelines early is so important so that you can get the ball rolling quickly.
Review and submit your grant! Phew—you made it! But you’re not done yet. Reviewing and double-checking your proposal is a must, and it should be done by an independent reviewer who hasn’t been knee-deep in the process like you. Collect and discuss their feedback, make changes, review one last time, and then hit submit (ideally a day or two before the deadline). After the adrenaline wears off, take the afternoon off.

There’s no magic formula for writing a winning grant—your proposal should always be tailored to that unique grant and funder—but there are best practices and principles that give you a reliable roadmap to follow each time. Our 7-step grant writing process condenses a ton of them into one digestible process, but for an even closer look, join our free grant writing class!

Free Grant Writing Trainings

These how-to videos offer a smattering of webinar replays from our online grant writing training and feature topics such as working remotely, project management, fundraising, and how to utilize the Freedom of Information Act for federal funding.

Essential Grant Writing Tips for Newcomers

Once you’ve mastered the steps above, you’re probably wondering how to actually put rubber to the road and get started. Here are our top 5 recommendations:

Find a real project to work on! Try identifying a real grant opportunity and approaching a nonprofit in your community. Or if that idea terrifies you—we get it—you can start slower with sample projects and training courses.
Commit to excellence in project management. Grant writing is complicated, no way around it. Familiarize yourself with project management best practices and you can stay organized and energized.
Fake it until you make it. Imposter syndrome is very real, and even experienced grant writers deal with it. But don’t let it hold you back. When you invest in your grant writing skills and get real-world practice, you have something worth sharing. Build some momentum and see how far you can go!
Have a process mindset. When you pull the mask off the big hairy grant writing monster, you’ll find it’s really just a big stack of steps and processes—learnable steps and processes. Master these, and you’ll have a reliable framework for success.
Don’t be stubborn (said with love). Trying to go it alone when learning grant writing leads to more mistakes and wasted time and money. Grant writing is a craft, after all, and there’s a lot to be gained from connecting with fellow grant writers.

P.S. Want more grant writing videos like this one? There’s more where that came from.

Check out our YouTube channel and give us a follow!

If you’re new to grant writing (or even considering turning it into a side hustle), it’s important to understand the big picture. Why do grants matter?

Grants make up a considerable chunk of nonprofits’ operating revenue.

According to Nonprofit Impact Matters , the nonprofit sector generates roughly 31.8% of its revenue from government sources (including both grants and paid contracts) and 2.9% from foundations in the form of grants.

It’s generally recommended that grant funding should provide 10-20% of a nonprofit’s total annual budget.

Funding from foundations is growing.

Total giving from foundations reached $105.21 billion in 2022, a 2.5% increase from the year before, and it’s part of a continued upward trend. Put another way, foundations provided 21% of total giving to nonprofits , or $1 of every $5 given to charity.

This is one of only a few areas that saw growth when adjusted for inflation. Family foundations (founded by families as a way to better manage their philanthropic activities) and corporate foundations have led the charge.

Grants are an important part of a safe revenue mix.

Nonprofits need to have diversified revenue streams so that they can rely on other ways to generate money when one shrinks or dries up.

Grants are an essential part of this equation, especially as a turbulent economy causes individual donors to rein in their spending. Case in point—the 2023 Giving USA Report found that giving from individuals declined 6.4% in 2022 (or 13.4%, when adjusted for inflation), a finding that sent shockwaves through the nonprofit world.

But when a nonprofit has a sturdy fundraising program, grant writing process, and an active grant opportunity pipeline, it becomes much easier to weather the storms and keep on doing the good work their communities need.

This leads us to a logical conclusion (which you might have already caught onto)...

Grant writing is an incredibly valuable skill because:

It’s always in demand.
It helps nonprofits secure the diverse funding they need to thrive.
It drives on-the-ground good by funding projects and programs.

Competition for grants will only get tougher as giving from foundations grows and donor habits keep changing in the coming years.

The right unicorn of a grant writer can make a world of difference for nonprofit missions of all sizes and build the fulfilling career they want: a win-win!

Study up on grant writing best practices. Stretch your grant writing muscles by taking a free class or investing in more lessons, coaching, and community (like through the Global Grant Writers Collective ).

Whether you’re looking to win more funding for your nonprofit or break out into a new freelance field, anyone can succeed with grant writing with the right preparation and practice.

Want to learn more? We know you do. We recommend these additional resources:

Can I Make Money as a Grant Writer?
Three Possible Career Paths Through Grant Writing Training
Why Start a Side Hustle Grant Writing?
Grant Writing for Nonprofits: Our Top 10 Tips
Tips for Writing Your First Draft of a Grant Narrative
Top Mistakes Grant Applicants Make (And How to Avoid Them)
A Review of the Top 10 Grant Databases

Free Grant Writing Class

Learn the 7-steps to write a winning grant application and amplify the impact you have on your community.

About the author...

Alexis Swenson serves as Unicorn Coach and Content Director for Learn Grant Writing. The product of small-town northwestern Minnesota, she is a self-declared “old soul” and grounded free spirit. She has secured over $2.7 million in grant funding in her career. Alexis writes to help people learn, laugh, and not be so hard on themselves.

Want To Learn More?

We made this video to answer your questions about how to build a career in grant writing without the fear of where you will find clients or the fear of failure. We cover the top three mistakes that keep people from making the leap from a soul-sucking job to something more meaningful.

Watch Video

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Listen to the audiobook, take free grant writing class, free grant writing resources, take our career fit quiz, take our business diagnostic audit quiz.

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Why did my Micro SD card randomly become write protected?

Around a month ago, I put a different Micro SD card in my computers adapter than usual, and it was write protected, I didn't think much of it and just put my regular one back in, but that one was write protected too I searched the internet for how to get it to work (I had nothing important on there so i was willing to do anything) but nothing worked, Not the Registry Editor, Not diskpart, checking the switch, nothing Recently, i got a new adapter as it didn't work in any other computer, but the Micro SD card itself worked fine, i got a new Micro SD just in case, however, neither of these worked when i put them in my computer, even though it worked fine in a different computer My main worry is if its something up with my own computer, but I'm not sure what, far as i know, if it was a problem with the port, it wouldn't read at all, but its just stuck in readonly I wasn't miffed that the adapter wasn't working, it was 5 years old (5 years past its seemingly usual expiration date)

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Hello, The Dwarf™

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Thanks for your feedback. windows does not automatically go and set your SD card permissions. Does your SD card have a physical write-protect switch? You can send me the model number of your SD card and this will help me locate your problem.

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Ursula K. Le Guin on How to Become a Writer

(step one: write).

This first appeared in Lit Hub’s Craft of Writing newsletter— sign up here .

How do you become a writer? Answer: you write.

It’s amazing how much resentment and disgust and evasion this answer can arouse. Even among writers, believe me. It is one of those Horrible Truths one would rather not face.

The most frequent evasive tactic is for the would-be writer to say, But before I have anything to say, I must get experience.

Well, yes; if you want to be a journalist. But I don’t know anything about journalism, I’m talking about fiction. And of course fiction is made out of experience, your whole life from infancy on, everything you’ve thought and done and seen and read and dreamed. But experience isn’t something you go and get—it’s a gift, and the only prerequisite for receiving it is that you be open to it. A closed soul can have the most immense adventures, go through a civil war or a trip to the moon, and have nothing to show for all that “experience”; whereas the open soul can do wonders with nothing. I invite you to meditate on a pair of sisters. Emily and Charlotte. Their life experience was an isolated vicarage in a small, dreary English village, a couple of bad years at a girls’ school, another year or two in Brussels, which is surely the dullest city in all Europe, and a lot of housework. Out of that seething mass of raw, vital, brutal, gutsy Experience they made two of the greatest novels ever written: Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights .

Now, of course they were writing from experience; writing about what they knew, which is what people always tell you to do; but what was their experience? What was it they knew? Very little about “life.” They knew their own souls, they knew their own minds and hearts; and it was not a knowledge lightly or easily gained. From the time they were seven or eight years old, they wrote, and thought, and learned the landscape of their own being, and how to describe it. They wrote with the imagination, which is the tool of the farmer, the plow you plow your own soul with. They wrote from inside, from as deep inside as they could get by using all their strength and courage and intelligence. And that is where books come from. The novelist writes from inside.

I’m rather sensitive on this point, because I write science fiction, or fantasy, or about imaginary countries, mostly—stuff that, by definition, involves times, places, events that I could not possibly experience in my own life. So when I was young and would submit one of these things about space voyages to Orion or dragons or something, I was told, at extremely regular intervals, “You should try to write about things you know about.” And I would say, But I do; I know about Orion, and dragons, and imaginary countries. Who do you think knows about my own imaginary countries, if I don’t?

But they didn’t listen, because they don’t understand, they have it all backward. They think an artist is like a roll of photographic film, you expose it and develop it and there is a reproduction of Reality in two dimensions. But that’s all wrong, and if any artist tells you, “I am a camera,” or “I am a mirror,” distrust them instantly, they’re fooling you, pulling a fast one. Artists are people who are not at all interested in the facts—only in the truth. You get the facts from outside. The truth you get from inside.

OK, how do you go about getting at that truth? You want to tell the truth. You want to be a writer. So what do you do?

Honestly, why do people ask that question? Does anybody ever come up to a musician and say, Tell me, tell me—how should I become a tuba player? No! It’s too obvious. If you want to be a tuba player you get a tuba, and some tuba music. And you ask the neighbors to move away or put cotton in their ears. And probably you get a tuba teacher, because there are quite a lot of objective rules and techniques both to written music and to tuba performance. And then you sit down and you play the tuba, every day, every week, every month, year after year, until you are good at playing the tuba; until you can—if you desire—play the truth on the tuba.

It is exactly the same with writing. You sit down and you do it, and you do it, and you do it, until you have learned how to do it.

Of course, there are differences. Writing makes no noise, except groans, and it can be done anywhere, and it is done alone.

It is the experience or premonition of that loneliness, perhaps, that drives a lot of young writers into this search for rules. I envy musicians very much, myself. They get to play together, their art is largely communal; and there are rules to it, an accepted body of axioms and techniques, which can be put into words or at least demonstrated, and so taught. Writing cannot be shared, nor can it be taught as a technique, except on the most superficial level. All a writer’s real learning is done alone, thinking, reading other people’s books, or writing—practicing. A really good writing class or workshop can give us some shadow of what musicians have all the time—the excitement of a group working together, so that each member outdoes himself—but what comes out of that is not a collaboration, a joint accomplishment, like a string quartet or a symphony performance, but a lot of totally separate, isolated works, expressions of individual souls. And therefore there are no rules, except those each individual makes up.

I know. There are lots of rules. You find them in the books about The Craft of Fiction and The Art of the Short Story and so on. I know some of them. One of them says: Never begin a story with dialogue! People won’t read it; here is somebody talking and they don’t know who and so they don’t care, so—Never begin a story with dialogue.

Well, there is a story I know, it begins like this:

“ Eh bien, mon prince! so Genoa and Lucca are now no more than private estates of the Bonaparte family!”

It’s not only a dialogue opening, the first four words are in French , and it’s not even a French novel. What a horrible way to begin a book! The title of the book is War and Peace .

There’s another Rule I know: introduce all the main characters early in the book. That sounds perfectly sensible, mostly I suppose it is sensible, but it’s not a rule, or if it is somebody forgot to tell it to Charles Dickens. He didn’t get Sam Weller into The Pickwick Papers for ten chapters—that’s five months, since the book was coming out as a serial in installments.

Now, you can say, All right, so Tolstoy can break the rules, so Dickens can break the rules, but they’re geniuses; rules are made for geniuses to break, but for ordinary, talented, not-yet-professional writers to follow, as guidelines.

And I would accept this, but very very grudgingly, and with so many reservations that it amounts in the end to nonacceptance. Put it this way: if you feel you need rules and want rules, and you find a rule that appeals to you, or that works for you, then follow it. Use it. But if it doesn’t appeal to you or doesn’t work for you, then ignore it; in fact, if you want to and are able to, kick it in the teeth, break it, fold staple mutilate and destroy it.

See, the thing is, as a writer you are free. You are about the freest person that ever was. Your freedom is what you have bought with your solitude, your loneliness. You are in the country where you make up the rules, the laws. You are both dictator and obedient populace. It is a country nobody has ever explored before. It is up to you to make the maps, to build the cities. Nobody else in the world can do it, or ever could do it, or ever will be able to do it again.

___________________________________

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How to Become a Freelance Writer, Plus Tips for Success

F reelance writing is a booming industry, and it could be a great way to enjoy remote work and set your own schedule. Yet becoming a freelance writer can be difficult and confusing, especially in the beginning.

Today, let's explore how to become a freelance writer step-by-step, plus break down some extra tips to ensure success in this field.

1. Decide what kind of writer you'll be

No freelance writer can do it all, so you need to decide what kind of writer you'll be before starting on this career path.

Here are some examples of freelance writing niches and focuses:

Technical writers : have technical expertise or in-depth knowledge about a specific subject, like manufacturing, finance, programming, etc. This type of writing is the most profitable side hustle. However, it's also the hardest for new freelance writers to break into as small businesses.
Content writers: create blog posts for a variety of websites, often retail or affiliate websites. Content marketing includes high-qualitycontent writing. Such content might include guest posts for bloggers and business owners. It might also include other freelance content, like creating social posts or email copy. Helpful skills to know are how to use WordPress, Slack, Google Suite, Asana and similar.
Copywriters : create content for brands by mimicking brand voice, tone and language rules. This freelance writing work means providing writing services to a brand's own blog. Such purposes typically revolve around SEO/search engine optimization purposes.

Of these types of freelance writers, you can further specialize. For instance, you can be a retail content writer exclusively, a finance technical writer and so on. In many cases, you should choose your freelance writer niche based on your previous experience, interests or specializations.

Consider your working schedule, too. Full-time writers will have more access to freelance writing jobs. However, you can still build a writing portfolio with stellar writing samples to attract potential clients, even as a part-time writer.

There are lots of online writing clients to attract. In any case, you'll build up a byline reputation after you get your first client and start flexing your creative writing skills.

Related: How Much Should You Charge as a Freelance Writer ?

2. Learn your niche's writing conventions and strategies

Next, you'll need to learn and master your niche's writing conventions and strategies.

As an example, if you become a copywriter for retail brands, you need to understand typical writing conventions like:

Reading through your clients' tone packages or portfolios (sometimes called brand guides). These will give you the information you need to mimic your client's voice appropriately.
Writing in streamlined, short sentences without a lot of fluff. These days, most online readers skim written content rather than reading it word by word, so you need to know how to create compelling, attractive headers and content blocks.
Using bullet points frequently (just like this.) to convey key informational points quickly and succinctly.

Many of these skills can be learned and practiced as you hone your writing skills and as you determine your ultimate freelance writing niche or focus. Outside of learning by pursuing writing opportunities and building an online presence, many good writers have positive experiences with writing courses designed to build professional writing skills for different types of content.

3. Build a portfolio and join freelance job sites

No one will want to hire you as a freelance writer without seeing some samples of your work. This can sound counterintuitive, as at the beginning of your career, you won't have any work to showcase. However, you should create a portfolio of sample or trial blog posts, copy and more. Even if you come up with this content from scratch, it can serve as a good example of the work future clients can expect.

Once you have your portfolio, put it up on your personal website and your social media pages (particularly your LinkedIn profile). Then add to freelance job websites like Upwork. Make profiles on all the freelance job boards you can.

In the earliest days of your freelance writing career, you'll be pursuing as many jobs as possible. The more places you have to advertise your skills, the better.

Related: Leaving a Steady Job to Start a Freelance Career ? Here Are 5 Things You Must Know

4. Start looking for work

Now it's time to put your nose to the grindstone and begin looking for work. As a freelance writer, the initial months of your career will be filled with proposals and requests for work. Don't expect to get a lot of clients initially. In fact, you'll probably spend most of your time seeking out clients instead of writing.

This isn't a bad thing. During this time, you'll learn how to write effective, persuasive proposals to your clients and how best to represent yourself as the ideal freelancer for their needs. In time, you'll get a few jobs, then use those jobs to open further doors and new professional opportunities.

5. Request good reviews

Each time you get a job from a client, do it to perfection. Then, at the end of your contract, request an excellent review or testimonial. Many freelance job board websites allow you to post reviews or automatically calculate a review or star score based on your performance.

The better your review score is, the easier you'll find it to acquire new, high-paying clients. In this way, your freelance writing career will start off very slow, then quickly pick up speed.

Related: The 9 Skills it Takes to Succeed as a Freelance Writer

6. Market your writing aggressively

As you earn initial success, you should market your writing aggressively. There are a few different ways in which you can do this:

You can create a personal website for your freelance writing business, showcasing your best samples and reviews or testimonials.
You can make online ads promoting your skills as a knowledgeable copywriter, particularly in a specific industry or niche.
You can and should market yourself on social media by regularly posting that you are looking for work or new clients.

Don't feel bad about announcing your skills in this way: You have to hustle to make it in this industry, a truism that holds for all freelance professionals, in fact.

Other tips for freelance writing success

You now know the basics about how to become a freelance writer. But even with the step-by-step process above, you might not see initial success unless you keep some key tips and strategies in mind.

Pick a niche to excel at

First, and perhaps most importantly, you should pick a niche or specialization at the earliest opportunity. Generalized freelance writers don't make nearly as much money as specialized writers. That's because specialized writers can provide more raw value to their clients.

Imagine a situation in which a programming company needs a writer to create some in-depth blog posts for B2B clients. They can hire a generalized content writer or a specialized technical writer who knows the ins and outs of programming languages and computer science. The latter choice is always the better option for that client.

To that end, find a niche in which to excel based on your previous schooling, your interests and more.

Price your writing properly

Many freelance writers struggle with getting a living wage, partially because they price their writing too low. True, in the earliest stage of your career, you'll probably earn about one cent or two cents per word. However, as you earn your first initial reviews, you should counterintuitively increase your price to five cents per word or more.

Why? If you price your writing too low, clients will think that you aren't worth their time. By pricing your writing sufficiently high, you show that you are confident in your ability to deliver results to those clients.

Always be looking for new clients

The life of a freelance writer involves constantly looking for new clients and work opportunities. Even if you have a handful of solid clients who send you work consistently, don't rest on your laurels.

Always be cultivating new contacts and finding new professional clients who you can approach for work. You never know when your current jobs or projects might dry up, leaving you in desperate need of new income streams.

Always improve your writing skills

Similarly, always work to improve your writing skills by learning new words, practicing your grammar and so on. As a writing craftsman, it's up to you to make sure that your skills are as sharp and desirable as possible. Don't let your writing skills fall by the wayside just because you have achieved some initial success as a freelance writer.

Related: Examples of Writing Business Ideas

Start your journey as a freelance writer

As you can see, you can become a successful freelance writer in a variety of ways and niches. But keep the above tips in mind, and you'll be sure to land high-paying clients and master your new business in short order.

Check out Entrepreneur's other guides and resources for more information on this topic.

How to Become a Freelance Writer, Plus Tips for Success

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Observe Memorial Day with these events in southern Maine

Tons of towns have parades and ceremonies happening Monday.

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Kids and adults gather at a Memorial Day parade to honor and celebrate veterans in South Portland. Sofia Aldinio/ Staff Photographer

BATH 10 a.m. Monday. Parade begins at 200 Congress Ave. and concludes at Library Park and will be followed by a wreath-laying service at 11 a.m.

BERWICK 11 a.m. Monday. Parade begins at Berwick Town Hall/Sullivan Square and proceeds to Lord’s Cemetery by way of Wilson and Allen streets. After a ceremony there, the parade will continue down Saw Mill Hill Street with a pause at the Somersworth-Berwick Bridge for a brief memorial service for those lost at sea. The parade ends at Sullivan Square with a memorial service honoring area veterans.

BIDDEFORD-SACO Opening ceremony at 9:55 a.m. Monday at Saco City Hall. Parade starts at 10 a.m. from Saco City Hall and proceeds along Main Street and down York Hill into Biddeford, continues along Main Street, onto Alfred Street and finishes at Veteran’s Memorial Park with a closing ceremony at 10:45 a.m.

BRUNSWICK-TOPSHAM 9 a.m. Monday. Parade proceeds from Topsham Town Hall, pauses for observances while crossing the Brunswick-Topsham bridge, and concludes at the Brunswick Mall.

CAPE ELIZABETH 9 a.m. Monday. Parade begins at the middle school parking lot, turns right on Scott Dyer Road, right onto Route 77 and ends at the village green adjacent to the town hall. A brief ceremony and laying of the wreath will be held at the Village Green after the parade.

CUMBERLAND 8 a.m. Monday. Kids run at Greely High School followed by 5K Run and Remember race at 8:30 a.m. Parade starts at 10 a.m. at Mabel I. Wilson School and ends at the veterans’ monument in Moss Side Cemetery in Cumberland Center, where a ceremony will be held at 10:30 a.m. Advertisement

FALMOUTH 10 a.m. Monday. Parade proceeds from 65 Depot Road (Falmouth American Legion) to Pine Grove Park, where a ceremony will be held.

FREEPORT 9:30 a.m. Monday. Parade proceeds from Holbrook Street, heads north on Main and makes a right onto School Street, then right onto Park Street, ending in Memorial Park. There will be a small ceremony in Memorial Park starting at 10 a.m.

GORHAM 11 a.m. Monday. Parade starts at Village School (12 Robie St.) and ends at Eastern Cemetery on Johnson Road.

GRAY 11:30 a.m. Monday. Parade leaves the Russell School (8 Gray Park), proceeds to Shaker Road and continues to the Soldiers Monument at the intersection of Routes 26 and 3 for a wreath-laying ceremony. Parade continues north to the American Legion Post (15 Lewiston Road) for a closing ceremony.

LYMAN 1 p.m. Monday. Parade starts at Waterhouse Road/Mill Pond in Goodwins Mills and ends at the Lyman Town Hall on South Waterboro Road.

NEW GLOUCESTER 9 a.m. Monday. Parade leaves from Memorial Elementary School (86 Intervale Road) and heads down Intervale Road to Route 100/202 to Veterans Park for a memorial service. The parade will reconvene and go down Peacock Hill Road, then take a left on Gilmore Road. Advertisement

OLD ORCHARD BEACH 1 p.m. Monday. Parade starts at the corner of Ballpark Way and E. Emerson Cumming Boulevard and proceeds down Saco Avenue, Old Orchard Beach Street to First Street and ends at Veteran’s Memorial Park.

PORTLAND 2 p.m. Monday. The procession starts at Longfellow School (432 Stevens Ave.) and ends at Evergreen Cemetery for a commemoration ceremony.

SANFORD 10 a.m. Monday. The parade starts at the Sanford Armory (88 William Oscar Emery Drive), proceeds up Gowen Park Drive and ends at Central Park.

SCARBOROUGH 10 a.m. Monday. Parade starts at Scarborough High School, turns onto Route 114 and then Route 1, past town offices to the Maine Veterans Home and concludes with a ceremony there.

SOUTH PORTLAND 10:30 a.m. Monday. Parade starts at Southern Maine Community College parking lot, proceeds down Broadway to the Veterans Monument for a short Memorial Day recognition service.

WELLS 9 a.m. Monday. Parade starts at Wells High School (200 Sanford Road) and proceeds to Ocean View Cemetery for a ceremony and musical performances. Advertisement

WESTBROOK 10 a.m. Monday. Parade proceeds down Main Street and will be followed by a ceremony in Riverbank Park.

WINDHAM 9 a.m. Monday. Parade starts at Windham Town Hall and proceeds onto Route 202 toward Windham High School. At 10 a.m., there will be a ceremony in front of Windham’s Veterans Memorial Flagpole at Windham High School.

YARMOUTH 10 a.m. Monday. Parade leaves from Yarmouth High School (286 West Elm St.) and proceeds to the Memorial Green at Town Hall for a ceremony.

YORK 10 a.m. Monday. Parade starts near St. Christopher’s Church (4 Barrell Lane) and proceeds down York Street to York Town Hall.

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