Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
Writing is something that just about anyone can do. However, there are varying levels of success. Not everyone has the capacity to be a full-time ghostwriter or an author of a New York Times best seller. While there is a degree of skill and knowledge that goes into creating content of any kind, you don’t necessarily have to be passionate to be a successful writer. In fact, I know some who view it more like a routine job.
Keys to Being a Successful Writer
In reality, the measure of success is up to an individual. If all you want to do is write one or two blog posts per week, then you can consider yourself a successful writer. It all centers around your goals.
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Having Objectives
Many aspiring writers, such as myself, would love to see their names on the spine of a book cover. Others may simply want to make a few extra bucks every week writing content for blogs. In either case, it’s about your personal objectives. What do you want out of writing?
Your objects can be anything from sharing your experiences on a blog to becoming famous writing that one brilliant novel everyone talks about. It really doesn’t matter what it is as long as your able to achieve it. At which point, you’re a success.
Having passion can fuel your objectives, though. When writing is the first thing you think of when you wake up, it’s safe to say that you have a drive for putting words to paper or screen. Being passionate about something can inspire, motivate and provide ambition for achieving goals. However, it’s not a requirement.
There are many people who do jobs extremely well that they have no interest in. For example, I make one hell of a computer technician. There is very little I cannot fix or upgrade. However, it’s not my passion. I’m just really good at it.
Willing to Learn More
Whether it’s researching a piece to write a blog post or exploring the depths of physics to write a science fiction novel, you need to be willing to learn more. There is no such thing as too much knowledge, and understanding how a thing works supports the ability to write.
Take ghostwriting, for example. When it comes to SEO, business, Internet or WordPress articles, I can tear through them with fervor. These are topics I know a lot about and research on a regular basis. If I have to write something new, it takes a bit longer because I don’t have a solid grasp of the topic. When writing for clients, I am far more effective in topics I know more about.
You can say that I am passionate about the topics I am more successful at writing. This is a perfect example of passion not being required. Although I make more money per hour when writing something I am passionate about, I am still a successful writer when covering topics I don’t know simply because I can finish them.
Staying Motivated to Continue
There is more to being a successful writer than just being able to create content. One of the hardest things is to remain motivated. Depending on who you are, this can be one hell of a battle, especially if you work from home. For many, this is probably one of the biggest setbacks: not being motivated to continue.
Everyone is different when it comes to techniques that keep you on task. For me, it’s the prospect of moving into my own home in the next couple of months. Others may simply want to see their name on a by-line. What ever fuels you to continue, you need to stoke that fire.
A passion for writing is useful in this regard because it can drive you to keep going. Even if you’re not getting paid for the article, passion is what keeps you writing all the time. Take this blog, for example. It’s one of the least popular ones I have ever created. But I have passion for helping others and sharing my knowledge.
Using Passion to Fuel Creativity
Although you don’t necessarily need passion to write a specific piece of content, you’ll see a difference when you write about something you love. Words come out more fluid, the train of thought stays on its rails and you’ll want to see the project through to the end.
Without this drive, you may find yourself easily distracted and forcing the job to be completed. As a result, the quality of your work can surely suffer. In the past, there were a few pieces I had to complete revisions on simply because I didn’t have a complete interest in the topic. However, I was still able to complete the job…eventually.
I believe that anyone can write. As long as you can spell your own name, there is potential. Being a successful writer doesn’t mean there is a Bachelor’s degree hanging on your wall or that you have thousands of dollars in the bank account from royalty checks. True success is being able to realize your own dreams or accomplishing goals you set out to achieve.
You don’t need perfect grammar or even spelling, for that matter. It’s about what you want to experience through your own words. While it’s true that education and skill can help you reach higher levels, the success is really about how you feel about the project. Even the most perfectly created pieces can make people feel like they failed.
I wrote an article once that the client was completely in love with even though I thought it was terrible. To that client, I was a successful writer. And that’s all that really matters when writing as a freelance ghostwriter.
So, show some enthusiasm when you write. Even if you’re not passionate about a project, you can still be a successful writer. Discover what drives you to write in the first place. You may find that you have more passion than you realize for creating content.
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