As a New Writer, These 5 Habits Opened a Ton of Doors
The only person putting pressure on yourself to publish quickly is you
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When I began writing five years ago, I didn’t think I’d have enough ideas for ten articles let alone 300.
And I sure as hell didn’t think well over a hundred of those articles would net between 10,000 and 310,000 views, I’d attract attention from literary agents, and receive invitations to write for mainstream publications and teach at well-respected MBA programs.
But after I found my voice and rhythm, that’s exactly what happened. Taking the time to learn how to write effectively has completely transformed my career.
Today, I make a good part of my living helping other people to walk through previously closed doors through the power of words.
Like anyone, I made some major mistakes when starting out. But I also did some things right. Below are five of the best decisions I made when I began writing that I’m glad I developed the discipline to turn into habits.
1. I forced myself to be patient
I thought I’d done the impossible.
When my dad returned a draft I’d sent to him for feedback, instead of the page being covered in his signature red ink, it was remarkably white.
But then I kept reading.
And my smile immediately flipped upside down the moment I saw the following words at the bottom —
“Would you want your writer crush to read this?”
I wanted to fight back. I wanted to tell him the world had changed. I wanted to tell him in order for people to see my work, I had to publish a lot of words.
The moment we got on the phone though — and he said the only person putting pressure on myself to publish quickly was me — the more I knew he was right.
Some people learn more by publishing fast and often while others advance by taking their time and picking the messages they really want to get right the first time.
But think about what kind of writer you want to be as well as which kind of writer you already are.
