Constant curiosity around thoughts on how to make writing for a living possible resonates stronger than ever, now that people on lockdown would do anything to pass time. You have been wanting to write for a living because you had been dreaming of working from home. So, you’re wondering if monetizing that blog or YouTube channel is possible. The answer is, a big fat yes IF you have great content.

And while content is king and context is God, according to Gary Vaynerchuk, still, a writer who is not careful with spelling, grammar, or punctuation marks slides into getting marked as unprofessional. That’s why refresher courses are not that bad to have even if it is as simple as English Course for Beginners. It helps the dream of writing for a living be doable.

My literary teacher once said, “Mastering the language is the key to any kind of communication you want. If you know how to make love with words alone, then you have the right to own the art, may it be spoken or written.” And while I’m throwing out the greatest advice there is for content creators out there, here are 10 more to prepare you:

1. Write daily.

   You’ve probably known this for a long time. It had always been the trick. Let me break it down for you.

   There’s no other faster way to earn the skill except to develop a habit of writing. When I had my first freelance writing project, it was to write ten articles of 600 words in a week. It was going great but it seems like I never had a day off anymore if I just write out of whim. So, I had to schedule it and the most favourable arrangement I did for myself was to at least, write 2 a day so that I could finish it in 5 days, and I get a couple of rest days. But then, I actually could finish ahead already and so I received more projects. Why was I able to do it?

   I tried to write every day in my blog to publish for the next week. Or, the least is, a day before depending on how much inspiration and if there was a story I could not give a pass. So, if you plan to monetize your blog, later on, find ways on how you could gain training and get paid at the same time. You’re lucky if you get a mentor who hires you and is willing to give you pointers about the way you write for free.

2. Writing for a living means reading daily.

   You cannot write if you don’t have anything inside your mind. And contents get developed when something that you may have read stimulates the gears of your brain. Reading is like filling up the car with gas for the brain to work. Feed it with the right information to bring out the best of your thoughts and ideas.

3. Stay abreast of what’s trending.

   To find that unique voice, draw out your reaction and work around it creatively. If your work contains updated information, it becomes interesting yet colloquial. While speaking about what’s trending hooks a reader instantly, the first three lines of your writing gauge whether your work is worth reading or not. So, to sustain your reader, write it truthfully. Read the news, watch a trending series, or read the latest tweets.

4. Read other topics too.

   Yes, the reading doesn’t end on the topic of your niche. While you read at least one article about your niche, watch something in the news, and then read on other topics related to it. It is to your advantage if you stay well-versed with other people who are writing in the same niche as you or when you read about something you’ve never heard before. Even consider the content that contains a silly and informal voice. It’s refreshing. All of these will pave the way for your dream of writing for a living, set up quite well.

5. Plan your writing journey.

   Failing to plan is planning to fail. This is true. And so is the possibility of writing for a living. So, from the time you get fond of a topic and you find yourself watching, reading, and researching about something over and over again, open yourself to the idea that this might be your niche. That being said, align your efforts towards the development of your writing skills around it. If you feel like writing a romance novel, start blogging about what you think about a certain book. Set up SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bounded) goals.

   Specific – Start with a lineup of the romantic books you want to read.
   Measurable – Choose two titles to read in a month.
   Attainable – If you’re a fast reader, this may be possible. Modify according to your capacity. One book a month is good, to begin with.
   Realistic – There, actually, are books lined up.
   Time-bounded – One book a month. Set a schedule like every Sunday, to write your opinion about the pages you have finished that week. Or if you are maintaining a blog, you can schedule every what day you’re supposed to publish your article.

6. Invest time in your work.

   Writing is like wine: it is sweetest when it’s given time. The content tends to become non-convincing, or without much substance when it’s hurriedly done. Just like how wine becomes bitter too when it’s not allowed ample time to get fermented. Don’t relax too much though. Deadlines, when it comes to writing assignments, are real. Current events are mostly what binds your readers to your content.
   
   
   
   So, if earth day was yesterday and you plan to write a topic that would go by Contributing to Efforts on Earth Day While on Lockdown may be quite too late. It’s always grabbing the best window of opportunity for your writing to be noticed ahead of time. Being searchable will also put you on top of the list. Most often than not, this is what creative writing is all about, so much so, with journalism. While the first one should be timely, the latter should always be ON TIME.

7. Listen.

   This, along with humility, should be practised at all times if you’d choose writing as a profession. Listening will gain more information. If you act like you’re the best at what you’re doing but in reality, you’re just writing, you are blocking yourself from learning. At any craft, the more you practice, the more you learn. The more you stay humble, the more you get connections. And most of all, the more you listen, the more information you grasp.

8. Always choose to be neutral.

   There’s a silver lining to how you’ll approach your writing. Would it be on the non-biased side which is more likely used in writing non-fiction? Or you may choose to lean on your own opinion, beliefs, and norms which gains popularity because of the flavour it dwells upon? Well, it wouldn’t hurt if!!! you can back up every information you disclose. If!!! you truly had interviewed the person. And if!!! you worked hard in gaining first-hand information.

9. 
   

   Assign yourself a routine that you can sustain.

   This is more of encouraging you to develop discipline. This shouldn’t be too hard if you are really into writing. Most often than not, writers find it hard to stop when they are doing what they love to do anyway. There are countless times I spared myself sleep because of writing and each time I get to finish an article, it gives me a certain writer’s high, a surge of energy to keep on writing but more on the editing side this time. Writing for a living isn’t an easy journey. It’s the same as keeping your energy, your game, and your drive in keeping a job as a retailer, a dealer, or a nurse. It’s just a different craft.

10. Stay loyal.

    Be loyal to your style. Be loyal to the software that you use, to your protagonist, and to your goals. These elements help your writing to get settled technically. If you must, memorize the keyboard, some programming shortcuts, for this will help you lock your story. All efforts will pour onto your chapters, projects, and essays if no disturbances distract you.

These are the basic ones that can unleash your potential to go for writing as a means to make the dues met. So, think hard, commit, and once you do, give it your all. That’s the only way you would know if it’s for you.