Are You Writing For Fun Or Funds?
- Date: 2007-02-09 - Word Count: 515
Share This!
"What shall I write today?" That is the question writers often find themselves pondering. And yes, the reply often comes back: "Write What You Know". But is this always the best guiding principle?
I don't think it is. I reckon you should first of all write about what you ENJOY. Write about what you are enthusiastic about and would like to read about yourself. All the information you need to KNOW can be found with research. The library, your own bookshelf, the Internet (if you're careful), interviewing.
Get a handle on what gives you a lift first. Think about a subject that satisfies you and gives you pleasure to think about. Then find an angle or an aspect of the subject that you haven't read about or that you personally would like to know the answer to. Then get writing.
You should also ask yourself this question: "Do I want to write for fun or do I want to write for funds?" Get your motives sorted before starting to write.
If you say 'funds' then you need to make sure there is a market for what you want to write. Go to references such as the Writers and Artists Yearbook in the UK - every library has one - and spend some time looking through it for a publication that sounds right.
Having found a magazine that looks promising, drop the editor a line, or an email, with your idea and ask if they are interested. Don't be put off by a negative response, just give a mental shrug, take it on the chin and move on to the next magazine. If you continue to draw a blank, then maybe your idea is, shall we say, ahead of its time? Back to the drawing board, then, and work on something else.
When you've got something you're reasonably happy with, take it to your local writers circle and share it there. The other members will give you a fair appraisal of your article or story and may even suggest places to send it to. If there is no writers circle near you try one of the many online circles which can be a great source of help and inspiration, too.
One word of caution: it's probably best not to give it to a friend or relative for an opinion. They will tend to tell you what you want to hear rather than the unvarnished truth, and in any case, do they really have the experience to know what an editor actually wants?
If you're writing for fun, that's great. Keep doing it. Choose a subject that you love and write about it. Whether it's fiction or non-fiction, write something to please yourself.
So keep writing, and then one day you'll have something that suddenly hits you and you'll say, "Hey! This is really good!" That's when you should start thinking about writing for funds!
Finally, remember the ten-minute rule. Every day sit down for just ten minutes and write something. And write about what you enjoy.
Mervyn Love is the webmaster of http://www,writersreign.co.uk a web site providing the writer with help, encouragement, resources, links, competitions and more...
I don't think it is. I reckon you should first of all write about what you ENJOY. Write about what you are enthusiastic about and would like to read about yourself. All the information you need to KNOW can be found with research. The library, your own bookshelf, the Internet (if you're careful), interviewing.
Get a handle on what gives you a lift first. Think about a subject that satisfies you and gives you pleasure to think about. Then find an angle or an aspect of the subject that you haven't read about or that you personally would like to know the answer to. Then get writing.
You should also ask yourself this question: "Do I want to write for fun or do I want to write for funds?" Get your motives sorted before starting to write.
If you say 'funds' then you need to make sure there is a market for what you want to write. Go to references such as the Writers and Artists Yearbook in the UK - every library has one - and spend some time looking through it for a publication that sounds right.
Having found a magazine that looks promising, drop the editor a line, or an email, with your idea and ask if they are interested. Don't be put off by a negative response, just give a mental shrug, take it on the chin and move on to the next magazine. If you continue to draw a blank, then maybe your idea is, shall we say, ahead of its time? Back to the drawing board, then, and work on something else.
When you've got something you're reasonably happy with, take it to your local writers circle and share it there. The other members will give you a fair appraisal of your article or story and may even suggest places to send it to. If there is no writers circle near you try one of the many online circles which can be a great source of help and inspiration, too.
One word of caution: it's probably best not to give it to a friend or relative for an opinion. They will tend to tell you what you want to hear rather than the unvarnished truth, and in any case, do they really have the experience to know what an editor actually wants?
If you're writing for fun, that's great. Keep doing it. Choose a subject that you love and write about it. Whether it's fiction or non-fiction, write something to please yourself.
So keep writing, and then one day you'll have something that suddenly hits you and you'll say, "Hey! This is really good!" That's when you should start thinking about writing for funds!
Finally, remember the ten-minute rule. Every day sit down for just ten minutes and write something. And write about what you enjoy.
Mervyn Love is the webmaster of http://www,writersreign.co.uk a web site providing the writer with help, encouragement, resources, links, competitions and more...
Related Tags: writing, article writing, fiction writing, writer, creative writing, non-fiction writing
Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- Using Keywords Effectively For an SEO Campaign
Keyword research is one of the most crucial parts of an SEO campaign. If you end up choosing the wro - Search Engine Optimization Copywriting Tips
SEO copywriting is not as technical as it sounds but is different from traditional copywriting for t - 3 Tips to Make Money Using Videos
For the last five years video has been a real success in the internet. Now you can find video in alm - Is Social Media Networking Your Next Strategy For Your Online Marketing?
When you try to work on online promotion and online marketing, social media especially social media - Submitting a URL of Your Website
People who make a website usually do research on how to improve not only the quality of their websit - 5 Bad Habits of Article Marketing
There are many ways to advertise your company but having a highly ranked website is the best. Most p - Facts About SEO Services Company
SEO services companies are becoming very popular in the internet marketing world but there are some - 4 Ways Search Engine Optimization Can Be So Powerful
Whether you are an affiliate marketer, small businessman or a large organization, your first step wh - A List of 3 Options For Internet Business
The trend of making money through online business has become trendy now a day. People are shifting t - Getting the Best Affiliate Products For Your Site
Making money online was never so difficult before. There are numerous ways through which you can mak
Most viewed articles in this category:
- The Revolutionized Ebay Etailsolution Software
With the help of eBay, the auction business has received a new meaning. With the help of the many eB - Internet Millions - by Ryan Orrell - Honest Review
REVIEW: "Internet Millions", by Ryan Orrell, is a refreshing new kind of internet marketing e-bo - A Google Adsense Addiction
54% of all Google Adsense publishers admit addiction to click income. A recent online study conducte - Lead Generation for Top Residual Income
At the heart of any good residual income business is a person who knows how to generate leads. Lead - Make Money With Information Ebook Products: The Other End
I don't like thinking of myself as the kind of person that has made it rich on the internet, but in - Repeat Business Equals a Residual Income Stream
Residual income comes from other people reacting to a single action by the business owner. What bet - The NFL & United Way
There are many ways that NFL players help with the United Way. First of all, they donate a lot of th - Seo - Making Money Writing Seo Reviews
If you are a reviewer or critic you are likely to find work writing reviews of products and services - Understanding Perfume Types
Understanding the various varieties of perfume can help to cut through the difficulty in selecting a - Ecommerce Basics: Three Things To Avoid
When you decide to put your ecommerce website together there are a few mistakes that are easy to mak