Writing Tips – 4 Tips For Struggling Writers

Being a writer, whether you write novels or blog posts, is oftentimes tough and frequently frustrating

As a writer, you’ve chosen a career path that doesn’t necessarily guarantee you recognition of your accomplishments. Keeping yourself motivated can most definitely be difficult. Fortunately, staying inspired and informed will help keep you motivated, even when times get tough and success seems unlikely.

Here are a few tips to help you out if you’re struggling to produce quality work or achieve the kind of success you desire as a writer:

1. Take a class

Learning a new skill or learning about new topics will invigorate your mind. So, consider taking a pottery class or even taking something like an intro astronomy class at your local community college. Find something that interests you and learn more about it. Many of the best and most inspired writers are well-rounded in terms of knowledge and interested in a million different things.

2. Join a workshop

You probably already know how beneficial feedback from other writers can be. Joining a workshop can help you identify problem areas in your work and fix them. Additionally, it can give you a chance to bounce ideas off other writers and motivate you to regularly finish projects. For instance, if you have to write a news article for every workshop session, you’ll be a lot more likely to stay motivated to finish articles faster. You can search sites like Meetup.com to find workshops in your area. If you can’t find one, you might want to consider starting one yourself.

3. Stay connected

As a general rule, you should try to read as many books, blogs, and news websites as possible. This will help you keep track of what sort of writing is being published and which writing topics are trending. Unfortunately, many great pieces of writing get overlooked by publishers and webmasters because their themes simply aren’t in vogue. So, stay knowledgeable about what interests readers.  Additionally, keep tabs on what other writers are doing. Their work will help inspire and challenge you to produce better work.

4. Don’t forget about your other passions

If writing is all you do, you’re probably going to grow tired of doing it. So, make sure you keep on doing other things you enjoy as well. Ride horses, collect model airplanes, take long walks with your significant other, play soccer, or sign up to play a bit part in a local play. Just make sure you’re splitting your time between your obligations, writing, and other things you like to do. Even the most prolific writers take breaks to devote time to other hobbies in order to balance themselves out.

Writers who constantly challenge themselves to learn and grow are far less likely to give up on writing when times get tough. So, do what you can to stay inspired and informed, believe in your abilities, and don’t always expect overnight success.

[box]Mariana Ashley is a professional writer and blogger with a penchant for researching and writing about personal growth, education, and how technology changes the way we communicate. Mariana is technically retired after years of teaching middle school history in Nebraska. However, she still devotes some of her time to professional projects that involve online colleges in Nebraska. Please send your questions and comments to mariana.ashley031@gmail.com. Any feedback is welcome![/box]