So, You Want to be a Writer?

Lots of people enjoy writing and having received praise from their English teacher for a story well written at school aspire to become a published writer with grandiose dreams of their name in print.

What do you want to be? A writer. But what sort of writer? There are different types, and not everyone is suited to certain disciplines.

In my mind there are three different types of writer:

1.    The Journalist

This writer reports on what they see before their eyes. Skills required are the ability to succinctly summarise; to be in the right place at the right time and to be sleek enough to worm your way in and get that all important interview, room with a view or back stage pass. Imagination is generally not needed, unless of course you work for the tabloid press and are paid to use poetic licence. A journalist will gather opinions from a number of influential sources and will report on what they learn. They will never form their own opinion; their writing is made up of a comparison of views from authority voices.

2.    The Authority Voice

This writer is a professional. They may be a lawyer; an accountant; a politician; a chief executive or an adviser. But then again they may be a hair stylist; beautician; fish monger or plumber. What they do for a living doesn’t matter; it’s what they know and have studied and experienced that’s the key thing. These people are experts in their fields and they have helpful advice and opinions to disseminate. Some of them may well need help to do it; they may have the knowledge and expert views in mind, but could struggle to put it into words, which is where the Creative Copy Writer comes in.

3.    The Creative Copy Writer

This writer uses their imagination to the full. They put themselves in the position of the reader and tailor their words to the audience at hand. They are proactive and display practised expertise at research and information gathering. They can write as an authority voice in any given subject even though they have never studied that subject in their life. Usually they have a marketing background with experience in the effective communication of a message to any given audience.

If you aspire to be this sort of writer, ask yourself: can you write about a subject you don’t know anything about? Can you research intelligently to gather just enough of the right sort of information to write about a subject in your own words?

Think of a subject. Here's one: "Your month by month guide to what you should be recycling throughout the year." Could you write 500 words on this? What about if a plumbing company, an environmentally friendly cleaning company or a metals testing company asked you to write their website content for them? Or an article to help them promote their services on the web? If the thought of this is daunting to you - if you are thinking, what on earth am I going to write about and where will I find inspiration and ideas - then maybe the journalistic route is more for you because that's more about commenting on actual things that have happened, forming and communicating opinions, opening up discussions and making summaries.

Decided which writing route is for you?

Once you've made your decision you need to start getting your name about. You also need to practice. Write about everything! Get as much practice as you can and perfect your craft. Always believe there is room for improvement, even if you are at the top of your trade.

Practice, practice, practice. Been on holiday? Out for a meal? To see a concert? Feel strongly about a local, national or international cause or debate? Learnt something interesting through your studies? Then write about it!

Write as much as you can, and get it published. Use the article websites to start getting your name about. You never know who may read your material! Get writing for your local community websites and publications too; they will appreciate anything you offer them, whether it’s a review of a day trip or a critique of a local restaurant or theatre production. Make a name for yourself in your chosen field, whether it's as a journalist, am authority voice or a creative copy writer.

You will have to do a few favours to start getting a portfolio together, but as soon as you are able to show people what you can do, you will start to get taken seriously. 

Put a good biography together for yourself to sell your services at the end of each piece you write and eventually people will start asking you to write for them and in turn they will start to recommend you to others. Once you have a reputation, your career will really take off and the joy you experience from seeing your name in print, being contacted for advice or being told ‘you are the business’ by someone you’ve written for will be the most amazing thing you have ever experienced.

So you want to be a writer? That’s good news because everyone likes to read! Take some time to carefully consider which writing discipline is the right one for you; try them all out if needs be but it won’t be long before you know which is the one you are best suited to. And when you know the route you are taking, get your name out there, put pen to paper and write and write until you can’t write any more. Good luck!