These past few months have consisted of many moments of procrastination and realisation, none more life-changing than the realisation that I’ve successfully transitioned careers at the age of 38.
Quitting my project management job at the age of 36 was a risky and somewhat stupid move, with no savings or an inkling of what to do next, and to be honest with you, many people thought I was mad. Perhaps even me…
The last few years have been bloody hard, BUT from all the hard work, stress, and near breakdowns, I can finally see through the trees to a future where it has all been worth it.
I’m still freakin’ terrified and doubt myself, but the more I learn, the more I read, the more I talk to people, and the more I write, the more I believe I can do this. The more I believe I am a writer.
Here are 15 of the best articles on writing I have ever read.
These articles have helped me clear my head, boost my confidence and self-worth, ignite my creativity, and fire me up.
They have also helped me acknowledge that I am a writer, that I have talent, and that that is an amazing thing – even if I lack attention to detail, don’t have a great grasp of grammar and punctuation, and suffer the curse of the typo 🙂
Why Writers Are the Worst Procrastinators
Admittedly you may not find this article particularly ‘inspiring‘, but I related to this article after struggling with a serious case of procrastination (okay, a serious case of bouts of procrastination).
‘What do I write about’.
‘I should sit down and write something.’
‘One day I will write that book… ‘
‘Oh, who the hell cares if I write or not!’
It wasn’t until I read Why Writers Are the Worst Procrastinators, which I immediately shared with my writer friends for discussion, that I realised I was normal:
“Lots of people procrastinate, of course, but for writers it is a peculiarly common occupational hazard. One book editor I talked to fondly reminisced about the first book she was assigned to work on, back in the late 1990s. It had gone under contract in 1972.”
Megan McArdle
How to write a book: 151 must-visit writing websites
This article contains an incredibly comprehensive list of resources for every type of writer, a hub for links to websites discussing publishing, agents, creativity, writing prompts and generic writing advice.
Now surpassing 151, I love this list because it is not stuffed with affiliate links but rather quality resources, many of which I haven’t seen or read.
What’s Up With That: Why It’s So Hard to Catch Your Own Typos
Typos are the bane of my existence.
Honest to god, I can read a blog post I’ve written five times before clicking the illustrious ‘publish’ button and immediately, on re-reading, find at least one typo in almost every post I’ve written.
That’s on a good day. I guarantee you I’ll probably find at least five in this post, even though I have painstakingly sweated over it for two months.
Why is it so hard to catch your own typos?
The reason typos get through isn’t that we’re stupid or careless; it’s because what we’re doing is very smart, explains psychologist Tom Stafford, who studies typos at the University of Sheffield in the UK. “When you’re writing, you’re trying to convey meaning. It’s a very high-level task,” he said.
What some may call a lack of attention to detail or carelessness could mean you are really smart, and I, for one, will embrace that fact and run with it!
Scream it Until Their Ears Bleed: Pay the Fucking Writers
I love this article, albeit it comes with a language warning and my new fave insult (toxic tickledicks – thanks, Chuck 🙂
Also, it stirred up quite a bit of animated discussion in the blogosphere since it challenges a statement made by Stephen Hull, editor of Huffington Post UK:
“… I’m proud to say that what we do is that we have 13,000 contributors in the UK, bloggers… we don’t pay them, but you know if I was paying someone to write something because I wanted it to get advertising pay, that’s not a real authentic way of presenting copy. So when somebody writes something for us, we know it’s real. We know they want to write it. It’s not been forced or paid for. I think that’s something to be proud of.”
Stephen hull
As I see and experience it, the reality of being a writer is hard to digest for someone who has dreamed of being a writer since she was a little girl (although it’s not exactly surprising). I’m not naive, even though some probably thought so after I quit my 12-year career in project management at the age of 36 to pursue ‘my passion’.
I knew I’d never make a bomb to set the record straight.
I also knew that changing my career and chasing my passion at 36 wouldn’t exactly result in the same income I had been accustomed to.
I chose to at least try to do something I loved and not something I hated. Something that would make me happy and not something that made me completely miserable.
I also know this is especially hard to digest for the seasoned writer who has been in the field for 10+ years. Many of them are struggling. They are increasingly finding it hard to prove what they do.
Okay, so writers need to eat. They also need a roof over their head. And a lot of them have families.
Secondly, if you’re a true ‘writer’ then you cannot not write. Writing is in you. It is your lifeblood. It is your soul. Without it, you feel lost and empty. Writing IS your passion. It is your life. I know because I felt that way for 20 years because I wasn’t writing.
Now you don’t get that with all professions, and $1.50 for a 500-800 word article isn’t going to cut it. I’ll go as far as to say it’s insulting. It is. The lowest I’ve ever gone is $5 – and I write that with a bad taste in my mouth and a lot of shame. I was desperate for a buck, but $5. What was I thinking? But I was new. I was naive. And I need a p-o-r-t-f-o-l-i-o. And for those writers who have already established themselves and are now having to fight for every buck, it’s just plain sad.
All I can say is that I welcome the content revolution and the move towards quality over quantity and underhanded tactics of rewriting articles published by other people and buying followers, reads, links, and more. It’s time we got back to grass-roots, which is writing from the heart, writing that is inspired, and writing because it makes a difference.
Six Things You Need to Know about your Writer
If you’re reading this article, you are probably a writer. Or you are in turmoil about whether you are a writer.
Or you are mulling over whether you can be a writer.
If you are a writer in any semblance of the word, this article is for you.
It will make you feel better about your quirks because we writers are quirky. Once we accept that about ourselves, life becomes so much easier.
Chances are, the more you get to know your writer, the more confused you’ll feel. Writers are odd ducks. We’re fun. We’re irritating. We’re enigmas and amoebas. How are you supposed to make sense of someone who flip-flops more than cheap rubber shower thongs?
Rhonda browning white
This article is for your friends. Your family. Your other half. The person you drive crazy. I sent this article to my husband. And to some of my friends and family. I don’t know if they read it. Probably not. Actually. I think the only people who did read it were my writing friends because they are also the readers.
How to Keep Writing When No One Gives a Shit
From one writer to another, I guarantee you a few things:
a) People will not get you
b) Your friends and family will not read you (most of them)
c) You will continually question what you are doing and why
d) Imposter syndrome will loom over you like a dark, threatening cloud
d) You never know the impact your words might have on someone’s life, no matter how small, how seemingly insignificant.
Remember that somewhere, someone cares. That’s how.
This thought has motivated me to persist with writing and blogging for almost six years and is a welcome reminder to me every time I feel like throwing in the towel.
So make your words count. That’s all I can ask of you.
The Daily Routines of 12 Famous Writers (And How They Can Help You Succeed)
Everywhere I look at the moment, I read advice telling me that I need to develop a routine.
A small business routine. A health routine. A work-from-home routine. A blogging routine. A writing routine.
I’m yet to do this, although writing in the evenings with a glass of wine helps. I also write better on a laptop over a journal, and the laptop has to be an Apple Mac. Admittedly I’m spending way more time reading about writing than writing, which is why I refer back to article #1.
These Journalists Dedicated Their Lives to Telling Other People’s Stories. What Happens When No One Wants to Print Their Words Anymore?
Have you thought about the old-school journos and writers who lived and breathed print?
In my foray into freelance writing over the last two years, after abandoning my writing dream for a sensible career I hated for many years, I’ve thought about this.
Growing up, print was it. I fantasised about writing for a paper or some eclectic magazine. About sitting there with my pad and pencil, taking notes whilst interviewing someone fascinating. Secretly I wanted to be a PI/writer, uncovering the truth for justice and all that guff. Okay, I may have watched too many superhero movies and read many Nancy Drew novels…
Sure, the internet has led us to the information age, but many of us are yet to consider the cost. With the drive for online content, the closures of many a print publication, and the plummeting of rates for even seasoned writers, give a thought to those who have been in the profession for 20 years. Those who lived and breathed print. Those who rolled up their sleeves travelled to interview someone in person or to snaffle out a story.
Writing Is Thinking
Writing is intimidating.
It’s also hard.
As a writer, there’s this expectation of grammatical prowess, a thesaurus for a brain, and an endless supply of ideas. Your talent for stringing words together is also countered by a deep-seated fear of not being good enough:
‘Writing is intimidating. There’s this expectation of artful precision, mercurial grammatical rules, and the weird angst that comes with writing for other people. You start with a tidy nugget of an idea, but as you try to string it into language, it feels more like you’re pulling out your own intestines.’
sally kerrigan
I particularly love the last sentence. Each and every time I write for someone else, I feel this way, and it’s great to know that it’s not just me.
How to Write: A Year in Advice From ‘By Heart’
‘By Heart’ is The Atlantic’s series about books, literary influence, and the creative process.
This article highlights 12 months of interviews with writers about their craft and the authors they love. What I love about this article is that it isn’t preachy.
It isn’t telling us what we should be doing. It isn’t giving us the ‘top tips to …’ or a ‘how to on being the best …’. Instead, it provides honest, diverse insights from writers who have been through the wringer. They have struggled, and they have experienced pain and heartache, along with joy and success:
No one wants to be told what to do. Instead, we want to see our own (creative) challenges—also individual, also particular—reflected in someone else’s struggles. Sometimes, that second-hand knowledge can help us make better, smarter decisions. Not every insight in this series will help every writer, but every insight has the potential to save some writer, somewhere, some heartache.
A Long, Lonely Road: Advice To New Writers
Itching to write that novel? Read this article first.
If you’re suffering from information overload, let me leave you with this little nugget of advice courtesy of David Brin:
Collect every piece of wisdom you can find, then do it your own way!
david brin
How the World of Online Publishing Is Changing, and Why You Should Care: The Art of Non-Conformity
A must-read in the digital age, this article aligns with my growing sentiments on the saturation of content online.
To be completely honest, I’m tired of ‘free’ products designed to entice me to subscribe to a list or even the pressure as a business owner to create a free product to build a subscriber list to build my business. I am over online e-courses, many of which have been a waste of time and money, and most of all, I am exhausted from seeing the same ideas regurgitated and rejigged into articles and ebooks on every second website in a competition to be page one on Google without any thought to originality.
Thankfully, times are changing.
People are clueing into the cons, scams and freebies. To the fake followers and other underhanded tactics. To the enticement to sign-up to a series of emails to slowly – or quickly – tempt you to sign your life away for a quick fix that isn’t a quick fix and could be found in a google search for free (bought the ticket, been to that concert). I am hopeful that the changes, which are underway, will be a good thing:
‘This isn’t a warning that things are changing; it’s a statement that things have changed. The future is already here. What worked before won’t work now, friends. But that’s okay, because change is the only constant. The real winners will understand and grow.’
chris guillebeau
I Will Not Read Your Fucking Script
This article sums up why you should never ask someone to read your script – especially a pro – without being prepared to take feedback on the chin.
It’s also why, as a writer, you don’t want to give feedback to someone on their writing. I’ve been through something similar to this recently, except with a CV. It was a frustrating and disheartening experience that left me with a bad taste in my mouth and feeling like crap, even though I was paid for my expert opinion. The silver lining – I got paid.
Stuck for ideas on what to write about?
Here are 105 of them, perfect for self-reflection and self-discovery
