Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
A lot of people have aspirations about being a writer. Whether it’s the fast-paced world of ghostwriting, such as what I do, or it’s developing a great story, being an author can be attractive. However, a lot of us have hangups that will prevent success. What’s worse is that many people can’t identify what’s stopping them from trying. For some, it’s a culmination of several things that play into a lack of effort.
What is Stopping You From Trying?
I’ve seen a lot of people demonstrate a great deal of potential for both freelance ghostwriting and writing a novel. In each instance, there were factors similar of why those individuals gave up. Here are a few things that may be affecting your ability to succeed.
Do you envision instant success?
I know I brought this up a few times in the past, but it’s something that I see a lot of. Many people assume they will make it big with their first story or client article and feel devastation when they don’t get that feeling of instant glory. As a result, many of them simply quit and move on to the next thing that interests them. Unfortunately, these people will never know their true potential as a writer.
When you’re new to writing, you can’t expect to become famous overnight. It could take several years before you reach a high degree of popularity. But none of that will happen unless you put in the effort to continue. Once you give up, you have failed at becoming an author.
Some believe that they can create content or stories by using imagination alone. Without a proper grasp of grammar, an otherwise good piece could become worthless. I see this a lot in younger writers. It’s easy for a teen to become enthralled with instant success that he or she doesn’t take into consideration everything that goes with “writing” a good piece.
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Do you think you don’t have enough time?
I am guilty of this one. Until recently, I always assumed that I didn’t have enough time in the day to put in the effort to be an author. Between running a small liquor store and keeping my ghostwriting job active, I am pretty busy during the mornings. But, it’s the afternoons that I bleed the most time. After 3:00 pm, I really don’t do anything outside of watching Netflix.
I highly doubt that I am the only one who has such beliefs. As soon as I cut Netflix out of my afternoons, I was able to start putting effort into publishing my work on Wattpad. It’s all about discovering your own priorities. For me, I thought about how much I could get done if I watched even one episode less of Deep Space 9 every day. This is especially effective since I’ve watched the entire series five times over the past few years.
If you really want to discover whether you have enough talent to succeed, you need to schedule your time. I know that not everyone will be able to simply cut out a 45 minute episode of something to write a few pages of their novel. But you might be amazed by how much time you actually do have when you start eliminating things that are nothing more than a waste of your day.
Do you not know where to start?
I get asked all the time of where people can start their writing careers. This was one of the biggest reasons why I built this website in the first place. I am trying to build a place where people can visit in order to find opportunities that are legitimate.
Finding real opportunities online is relatively easy when you run a Google search. There are several websites dedicated to helping writers find work by brokering jobs from clients. For example, Textbroker is one I write for every day. I’ve also used Fiverr.com, WriterAccess.com and HireWriters.com, although I haven’t made enough to be paid by HireWriters as of yet.
Finding a way to publish novels isn’t as difficult as it was in the 20th century. The Internet gives you all kinds of opportunities to self-publish. In fact, you can write an eBook tonight and have it up on Amazon for the Kindle in a relatively short amount of time.
The point is that a lack of knowing where writing opportunities are shouldn’t be stopping you from trying. Even if you have to take a few hours to explore and research, it’s better than giving up on what could be a dream career.
Is your mentality stopping you?
Not every vice is something tangible or physical. A lot of the time, it’s a person’s mentality that can create the shortcomings in his or her life. In the past, I’ve had severe problems with believing I was good enough to be successful. Since 2012, I’ve made a mark for myself as a ghostwriter. And now, I am starting to make headway as a new author. It was my mentality that stopped me from exploring my potential a long time ago.
Those who are overly critical of their work are often the ones who take the longest time to get out of the gate. We don’t have faith that others will enjoy our work. As a result, we often toss a story in the trash that may have potential to affect others in a profound way. Unfortunately, it’s the lack of getting the material out there that prevents success. After all, no one is going to like a story unless they are able to read it.
Is a lack of skill stopping you?
In reality, it doesn’t take much expertise in grammar to write for some clients. A lot of people simply want content to put on the site regardless of how it looks. Although expanding your knowledge will definitely help you make more money, you can still start right away as a ghostwriter.
Like any other skill, writing is one that develops over time through practice. Education will play a vital role in success whether you take a college course or learn from a website. The bottom line is that learning more about writing isn’t all that difficult or expensive. This should be stopping you from being successful, especially since there are so many venues to develop yourself as a writer.
Are You Stopping You?
In most cases that I’ve witnessed, it’s the lack of effort that stops a person from reaching their potential. Too many people assume negative results before they even attempt to succeed. Like I’ve said before, you will fail at 100% of the things you do not try. Don’t let your misgivings about the experience affect your decision to put in the effort. You may be missing out on something that may immortalize you in the long run.
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