Today is Monday, and I’m on vacation leave, a very rare occurrence, especially in a season where work volume is expected to be at its peak. But I’m not complaining. As a matter of fact, I welcome the reprieve.
Last night, before I went to sleep, I have commissioned myself to finish at least five 500-word articles before I retire for the night today. It’s almost lunch time, and I haven’t started a single article. At the rate I’m going, the possibility of finishing those five articles have gotten from slim to remote. Especially since instead of tackling what I’m supposed to be tackling, here I am writing this blog piece.
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Some writer I must be, huh?
The truth about being a writer
If you’re an aspiring professional writer, let me tell you once and for all, it’s not all glory and fame. It’s not an easy road to take. It’s work just like any other piece of work. Writing is doing. Writing is getting stuff written. Writing isn’t in the mind. Writing is translating those words overflowing in your mind into readable material that people can take things of value away from.
I’ve been writing professionally on the side for a while now. I admit I’m not as good as typical writers you probably know about, but I always give my writing my all. And if there’s anything writing isn’t, it’s not easy. To produce quality material, you’ll need to invest a good amount of sweat, blood and tears. Yes, this applies to every material you create, not just the first or the second.
Writing for fun vs. writing for money
Writing may be my passion. I may have been writing since I was nine. But writing for fun and writing for a living are two different animals – on the opposing ends of the spectrum, as a matter of fact. To become a professional writer, one MUST write. No excuses, no tomorrows, especially if the writing has to be done today.
To become a professional writer, always remember, if you’re not ready to put in the time and muscle, you probably need to step back and reassess your options. But if you’re ready to roll up your sleeves, you just might become the success you’ve always imagined yourself to be.
Final word
I realize the tone in this writing is a far cry from the usual tone I use whenever I write my articles in this blog. Well, the reason, partly, is this post from Forbes.com. The lady calls herself the Simon Cowell of the literary world. Then again, I would have to agree with her assertions. Sometimes, the truth becomes a lot more obvious when it’s shoved at us in an in-your-face manner.
Oh, and if you decide to read the article yourself, don’t be put off by all the negativity. If you know and fully believe you have what it takes to win the writing battle, you shouldn’t allow anybody to tell you that you can’t.
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mga ilang oras nyo po tinatapos ang isang 500 word article?
minsan ganyan din po ako, mas gusto ko pa magsulat ng kung anu-ano kesa unahin ung freelance writing job ko.
sa part ko, nagsusulat ako para sa money. nuong una talaga, ayaw ko magsulat pero maalam naman ako magsulat kahit papaano. tapos nung nalaman ko pwede kumita through writing online, enjoy na rin ng konti pero madalas din ako ma-bore dahil sa topic.
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Hi, Mon. Thanks for dropping by today. It would depend on the level of difficulty. Kung medyo kailangan ng madugong research, medyo magtatagal. Sometimes, it takes me as much as 3 – 4 hours. But if it’s something I already know by heart. Sometimes, an hour should be OK. So in the case above, since kabisado ko na ‘yong susulatin ko, medyo mas madali na. ‘Yon nga lang, tinamaan ng tamad, hehe. Update, nakadalawa naman ako out of those five after writing this blog post.
Writing for money is a good business, I think, especially if you know where to look and realize the value of your work. It’s not easy to come up with quality content, especially kung ‘yong content hindi mo naman talaga niche. Pero ‘yon nga, tiyaga-tiyaga lang talaga. Kung hindi ka magsusulat, how can you be a writer, ‘di ba?
Hang in there, and keep on writing, girl!
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Hey Maricel,
It down right tiresome at times, but really helps when your stressed. I am a good writer, but not a professional. However, some like to think I am…lol.
I think a great writer doesn’t always have to have the proper grammer, but can convey their point and write something that interesting. No one likes to read a stale blog that is the same old same old 🙂
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Hey, Garen, great to have you here.
Oh, yes, it can really be tiring and boring and stressful and a lot of stuff. But if you’re a writer for hire, you have to get past all that. Otherwise, you don’t get paid is I guess the message I was trying to convey. “Professional,” by the way, was used loosely in the context above. What people think whenever they hear the word is totally up to them. I used the word “professional” to mean somebody who writes for money. Come to think of it, I should have used “write for money” instead of “professional,” eh?
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Hi Maricel,
For me, I listen to classical, jazz or blues music before I start writing at least 15 to 20 minutes before I work. It’s my start-up drive that can trigger inspiration and emotions within myself. So, whether I’m writing for my blog or any other paid projects, I make it a point that I write something out of the ordinary. No matter how mundane it is to write something that is beyond your area of specialization, but it’s what we do and through time – we’ll definitely improve and become better writers. Professional writer will definitely mean – “Writing for a Fee.”
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Alex, thanks for adding in your thoughts. It’s funny how even classical music can distract me from my writing. When I write, I don’t mind the buzzing or the faraway sound of kids laughing and playing. It’s just that my place of work has to be quiet somehow. No shouting in my ears, no running around, no asking me questions or whatever. But more than the auditory distractions, I would like to believe my inability to stay away from time-consuming sites like Facebook and Twitter is the biggest challenge for me overall.
And you’re right, with time, we all will become better writers. 🙂
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Nice piece Cel! Though am not really a writer but I’ll try to write for the sake of writing.. 🙂
And you’re right. You should not allow anybody to tell you that you can not write. =)
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Ariston, thanks for the awesome comment. Writing for the sake of writing is OK. But when you’re already writing for money, things take a different turn. There are deadlines, quality metrics and all that. Contrary to what a lot of people believe and I’m talking about those people who believe a QUALITY article is worth $1 per 500 words, writing is not easy. Because if it is, everybody will be doing it.
Yup, no one should tell you what you can’t do. Only yourself knows the limit of your vision, your dreams and how far you’re willing to go to pursue your aspirations.
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Now this got me thinking, I think I am a writer but I am not. The problem for me is translating my thoughts to English. Filipinos may be good at it but finding the right exact word is what I am missing and also using commas, periods etc.
I think I am more of a story teller than a writer, since I was a kid I was writing comic books and fictional character on my notebook and some schoolmate buy my work for 1 peso, hahaha. My dream is to create a story far more different than what we see on local television, a blog about story telling and fantasy will be my last piece, I just need to practice my web design skills more.
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Dustin, I think there’s a notion out there among “writers who think they’re not writers” that it’s better not to call themselves writers in order not to disappoint. And this is a common malady because of the fear of rejection, the fear that they are not good enough.
I’m glad that you see yourself a storyteller. Much of writing, in my opinion, is story telling. About the “thinking in English” bit, it becomes better with time. And with lots of practice, of course.
Maricel Rivera recently posted…5 Time-Saving Online Tools for the Time-Conscious