Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
Your progression as a writer can have all kinds of twisted paths and forks in the road. How you proceed is completely up to your goals, dreams, and aspirations. And in today’s world, the opportunities are incredibly great. You just need to put in the effort to find them.
Some paths take a lot of work, but the results are often worth the time you invest. Whether you want to follow in someone’s footsteps or do something different with your writing career, all that matters is that you’re getting the most out of what you want.
Today, let’s take me as an example and look at my progression and why I am constantly looking for the next logical step.
How My Progression as a Writer Began
I didn’t wake up one day and accomplish all of my dreams as a writer. It took years to reach a certain level of success, which I didn’t start until 2012, using content mill platforms like Textbroker.
My point is that I constantly kept growing and exploring my potential, and continue to do so to this day. And over the years, I’ve had some extremely awesome experiences.
This is the order of my progression as a writer.
Step 1: Freelance Ghostwriter
I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was about eight or nine, typing away on my grandfather’s old Underwood-style typewriter. If I think about it some, I can still smell the keys and ribbon, 40 years later.
It wasn’t until January 1st, 2012, that I decided to give professional writing a chance. I started with the content mill, Textbroker, as a way to bring in a few extra bucks while working at the school district. Even then, $8 per hour was not enough to sustain a family of four.
I outlined most of my professional writing in A Freelancer’s Tale and everything I did up until 2021.
Anyway, as I was rated an average writer on Textbroker, I decided to make it a career path. I spent the next year or so learning everything I could about AP Style English, SEO, and writing in general. By February of 2013, I was able to quit my job and write full-time.
I am still a freelancer at the time of this post, as it pays the mortgage and the multitude of bills I cover every month.
Step 2: Niche Blogging
I initially built WriterSanctuary at the end of 2013 as a way to document my progress while practicing writing. Most clients on content mills were paying for blog content, so I wanted to make sure I was giving them what they wanted.
As my interest in blogging expanded, I added several niches to my portfolio. Not only was I trying to make something out of all the blogs, but I also found them to be great practice for varying clients, as well as very therapeutic.
I am more relaxed and at peace while at my keyboard than anything else, really.
Over the years, I have published all kinds of content and have helped a lot of people in writing, gaming, and health and fitness. So, no, I don’t make a ton of money on the blogs. However, I’ve helped others find their own paths, which means more to me than driving a fancy car.
Step 3: Private Clients
As I continued to develop my skills, I started seeking private clients. They paid far more than the content mills, and my name remained on most of the content I created. I was no longer a ghostwriter, as I helped build a few brands over the years.
Private clients can be found in a number of ways. Mine were mostly through LinkedIn and by networking with others on social media. If you build an awesome reputation, people often bring your name up with others in conversation.
I probably could have continued doing nothing more than Textbroker, WriterAccess, and Fiverr. However, I didn’t simply want to be a ghostwriter for the rest of my life. I wanted more for myself and more from my writing.
As I said, I still freelance as a way to pay the bills. But even collecting private clients will come to an end in the future. That’s because I want to become more than just a freelance writer.
Step 4: The YouTube Channel
Next in my progression as a writer, I created the YouTube channel. Initially, I wanted to make videos of the blog content so visitors could either read or watch about the topic. Well, it grew into its own thing as the years marched on.
What started the ball rolling for WriterSanctuary was how my good friend Chris suggested I make Textbroker videos, considering how I was one of the go-to sources for the platform. He was right; the Textbroker videos are what grew the channel in the beginning.
Lately, I haven’t done much with the channel outside of live streams. A lot of that has to do with time and how little of it I have on a regular basis. However, I am planning to bring back the author interviews and more video content regarding writing and blogging.
My new schedule should help manage my time better while getting more videos created.
The YouTube channel is a way for me to reach even more new writers who want to explore their potential. Not everyone who reads a blog watches a YouTube channel, and vice versa. Essentially, I doubled my audience by creating the same content on both platforms.
Sharing my experiences as a freelancer/blogger/self-published author is only part of the experience. I also plan to do more from a creative perspective, such as skits or shows, which I’ll talk about in a moment.
Step 5: Self-Published Author
A few years after starting the YouTube channel, it was suggested by my viewers that I should write a book about how I became a writer in the first place. In 2021, I wrote and published A Freelancer’s Tale, breaking down the steps I took while battling a crippling depression.
This was perhaps one of my greatest achievements. Since the age of eight or nine, I’ve always wanted to see my name on the spine of a book. I accomplished that dream at 45 – better late than never.
Why do I self-publish my books? Mostly because I want to write the story I want to tell. Agents and publishers only want stories they can sell. So, I don’t write for an audience of one.
Don’t get me wrong, if one of the big three reached out tomorrow, I’d probably take them up on their offer. But I’m not going to break myself trying to write something that is trending, or include elements in a story for the sake of marketability.
That means I’ll probably be a self-published author for the rest of my life. And I’m OK with that. I just need to figure out marketing a bit better.
Step 6: Taking a Masterclass for Writing a Novel
After my first two books, I was offered a chance to take Reedsy’s new masterclass on How to Write a Novel. And I can safely say that it was a pivotal moment in my writing career. I learned so much from the masterclass, and have no doubt that it played a role in how well Shadows of Atlantic City was received.
One of the reasons why I value education so much is because you’ll learn things you wouldn’t have thought to Google. During the course, Tom Bromley opened my eyes to a myriad of ways to tell a story and what I can do to make mine better. There are some things you just can’t get from a search engine.
So, yes, it was a logical progression to learn more about being a fiction writer, especially considering I have a lot of books I’d like to publish in the future.
Because the masterclass opened my mind to a slew of possibilities, I started wondering if perhaps there is even more I can get from a university.
Step 7: Undergrad for Creative Writing
Another important aspect of my progression as a writer was going back to school. In 2025, I enrolled at the University of Colorado to start working on my bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. The plan is to move into the master’s program immediately after and then on to a PhD.
I’ve always been a proponent of education in any form. Learning is how you strengthen your writing, whether you’re a blogger or an author. Never assume you know everything, because I promise…you don’t.
Now that I’m in school, I’m also planning to minor in anthropology. Not only do I love archeology, but I can only imagine the sheer volume of stories I’ll get from mysteries and a deeper understanding of ancient cultures.
In any case, furthering my education was the next logical step to help me unlock all kinds of potential later on. Stories, contacts, various academic experiences, and more only fuel my progression, opening all kinds of possibilities as a writer.
My Expected Progression as a Writer
As of this post, those were the steps I’ve taken to become the writer I am today. I have a lot on my plate, as many of these are still things I do to this day.
But what do I have planned for the future? Well, it mostly comes down to challenging myself; to go beyond anything I’ve done before just to see if I like it.
Will I meet all of these goals? I don’t know, to be honest. However, I’m currently working on several of them for the near future.
Screenplays of Book Scenes for YouTube
One of the courses I plan on taking in college relatively soon is screenplay writing. I’m going to try my hand at it before the course, but it’s something that piques my interest.
In this instance, I’d like to create some live-action scenes from my books to use as marketing material. Not only would it help generate a bit of ad revenue from YouTube, but it may also help me sell a few books.
These should be relatively easy, as they’re only going to be four or five minutes long, depending on the scene.
Screenplays for Entire Movies
Scenes from my books aren’t the only thing I’m interested in writing for screenplays. In fact, I’ve been told that I should write the screenplay for my novel, Shadows of Atlantic City, to see if we can sell it somewhere.
Of course, I’d also like to make a few YouTube original movies just for the hell of it. And I believe a screenplay would be next in the progression of myself as a writer.
Now, I doubt that I’ll get picked up by Amazon or Netflix. The point isn’t about getting rich from a movie idea. It’s about the experience of creating something I’ve never done before, just to say that I’ve done it.
Who knows, maybe the YouTube movie will make a ton of money. But you don’t know until you put in maximum effort to try.
Creating Writing and Blogging Courses
I’ve been asked for a few years now to create blogging and writing courses. I haven’t done so for two reasons: a) they take a lot of time to properly create, and b) I never felt good enough to teach a course.
Even I still struggle with some forms of impostor syndrome, despite being a successful writer.
Lately, however, I’ve been more open to the idea and am weighing my options regarding what to teach. I suppose an online course would be a natural progression for a writer who loves the idea of teaching.
Opening My Own Bookstore
I would love to build a bookstore, both on and offline, to rival Amazon. While I may not have the money to drop into such an endeavor, I would still love to open a small indie bookstore.
This is probably a goal best suited for a much later date, as I have a lot of things going on at the moment. However, it’s still on my roadmap and is something I’d like to accomplish before I’m done.
Graduate Studies for Creative Writing
As I said earlier, the plan is to earn my bachelor’s degree and then immediately start working on the master’s program. Eventually, I want to acquire a PhD. Needless to say, I have the next decade planned when it comes to higher education.
It’s going to cost me a pretty penny, but I am confident that I’ll find some alternatives to shave off some of that debt.
The best part is that I’m patient. I’m not trying to rush through the programs to help me find a better job or lifestyle. I essentially do what I want to do for a living, and it pays the bills. So, it doesn’t really matter to me when I earn those degrees, just as long as I earn them.
Professor at a University
Sure, I’ll create some online courses to start. But I would love to be a professor at a university, helping to shape the minds of new writers. That is, as long as writing is a skill people will want in 20 years. The popularity of generative AI is so sad on many levels.
I also wouldn’t mind being a professor of anthropology.
In any case, being called a professor is easily on my bucket list before my time comes. I’ve accomplished quite a few childhood dreams thus far; being a professor doesn’t seem all that far-fetched to me anymore.
In my world, it mostly comes down to time and money.
Keeping My Mind Open
I’m always one to keep my mind open, exploring new ideas as they come. If I made this list a year ago, I probably wouldn’t have included half of it. That’s because the future is always in motion, and new things are presented on a regular basis, as long as you’re looking for them.
When I began as a writer in 2012, I knew the progression would go beyond ghostwriting for content mills. Although Textbroker and those other systems helped me get the ball rollin’, I knew I wasn’t going to be a ghostwriter forever.
Always keep your mind open to the possibilities. Something you may think is beyond your reach today may be closer than you realize tomorrow.
Challenge Yourself to Go Further
I am always challenging myself in one way or another. I want to find the boundaries of my writing, pushing myself to accomplish greater and greater things. In fact, challenges are how I discovered a lot about myself and my abilities.
Not all of them are successful, mind you. However, each failure only provides me with information regarding how I can succeed next time. So, every one of them has been beneficial, whether the challenge succeeded or not.
I’ve written 90 blog posts in 30 days. I’ve delved into writing a western, which I didn’t think I could do. And I decided to go back to earn my degrees, despite my own misgivings about being 50 years old in 2026.
There are all kinds of ways you can challenge yourself as a writer. You’re only limited by two things: your imagination and what you want in life.
Not every writer focuses on progression and accomplishing greater things. Some are perfectly content as ghostwriters, and there is nothing wrong with that. As long as you’re getting what you need out of your writing, who’s to say you’re doing it wrong?
But over the years, I’ve experienced some amazing things and have met some equally amazing people because of my progression and development. And I’m constantly looking forward to the next greatest accomplishment on my to-do list.
At the end of the day, you’re the only one holding yourself back. There are numerous opportunities online and in the real world that you can explore to progress your writing. Why not explore them? You never know what will become your passion until you try.
What Motivates You to Write?
Probably the biggest contributor to writer progression is the motivation behind writing itself. Why do you write, or want to become a writer? Have you thought about anything beyond that? What drives you to put words to paper or screen?
Everyone’s progression is going to vary depending on needs and circumstances. The steps I took may be out of order for some. Or, perhaps certain steps are not even required for others. Success as a writer is subjective, as we all have dreams, goals, wants, and needs that vary.
Take the time to think truly about where you want to go with your writing. Don’t let self-doubt slow you down. And don’t be afraid of failing. Learn from those experiences and come out stronger.
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