By Terreece M. Clarke
Do you remember what your first time felt like? The nervous, but excited fumbling to open it up (the web site or paper publication), the feverish scanning to take it all in (checking to see what the editor changed, making sure your name was spelled right) and the last cry of ecstasy (your paycheck!).
Dianne Burrell over at The Renegade Writer Blog is asking writers about their first time – literary experience you dirty minded thing. I want to know something different from the FWJ community – does it still feel as good as the first time, writing that is?
One of the keys to a successful writing career is you HAVE to love what you do. Not just like it or tolerate it. Writing is like another um, act – your passion and level of enthusiasm has a direct effect on the outcome. In other words, blah writers produce blah work.
We talk a lot here about the business of writing, the technical aspects of writing and the goals of writing, but I like writers to remember why they got into this business in the first place. The past is prologue – if you became a freelance writer to take on tough political issues, but you find yourself languishing in SEO article writing because it pays the bills you need to shake things up. If you aren’t reaching the same or surpassing the high you received from your first printed piece, you need to do a little therapy to get the passion back in your pen.
Love it, but it’s lost some umph
It’s a tried and true relationship. The bond you have with your niche or style of writing is steady, comfortable, but you miss some of the excitement. It’s time to try some new positions. Keep doing what works, but add some creativity. Try a new blog or a different type of publication. Shake up the way you format your articles: anecdote, statistic, quote, background info, bullet points, end quote, turn in article and repeat; that can get old after a while – stretch your legs and imagination.
Bring in another
Maybe your blog or column just doesn’t have the zing. Bring in a guest writer or blogger to breathe a little fresh air into your work. Use a guest writer and watch someone else have fun with and find the beauty in something you see everyday. Be careful not to get too attached or dependent, a guest could take over and before long you’ve lost the loyalty of your readers.
Practice makes perfect
Maybe you don’t write enough and when you do it just feels awkward. Keep practicing at every opportunity. Conduct additional research and work with in an expert or mentor if necessary.
While it will never be as special as your first time, your published pieces should continually feel just as good if not better as your first published piece. If it doesn’t make some changes!
Your title – Does IT feel as good as your first time? | Article Writing Tips – caught my eye on the google blogsearch page. Just goes to show you how important good titles are!
I’ve added freelancewritinggigs.com to my reader, so I can see what else you come up with
You are absolutely right. After reading your post I realized that the more I have written, the more bored I think I have gotten with my writing. I think it has something to do with my confidence. The more I’ve written, the more confidence I have.
I had forgotten how scared I was when I first started throwing it out there.
Maybe it’s time for me to try something new in my writing, or maybe to try writing in a different way.
Thanks for helping me rethink this. I want my passion for this back! I love to write!
Jinger Jarrett
You go Jinger, get that passion back!!!
You know as well as I do that writing is like that other thing you were talking about. I know that at least when I write something I know is really good, I feel a kind of ecstasy. I can’t believe that I’m the only writer that feels that way. What we do might be a solitary pursuit, but there’s still a certain passion and excitement involved.
I know that deep down we writers are sensitive souls. Criticism makes us better even if it hurts our feelings. Maybe too much praise makes us feel invincible, and that’s probably bad too.
Thanks for the post. I’m working on the passion! Jinger
It feels better. In the beginning, I was very young and felt invincible. Experience has taught me that things don’t always turn out the way we envisaged them, so I feel happy and excited when a piece turns out well and gets published.
I did lose the excitement along the way, when I focussed on one type of writing. The stories started sounding the same, my sources started repeating themselves, and I don’t think my writing sparkled either.
Then I went freelance, and started writing on more subjects, using different writing styles, and then zing came back. Maybe I’m just sick, but the writing process is more nerve-wrecking and more demanding, and once again, I love it!
I’ve been writing articles and columns since 1988 and with each publication my passion deepens, yummy paycheck or not.
Since 2006 I’ve been writing a weekly inspirational/motivational/reflections column – Wright Words of Wisdom and I have quite a following and very encouraging feedback both from readers and my editor. While the payment isn’t great it is adequate.
You might think I’d be used to it by now. Yet each Sunday, I rummage through the newspaper for the pullout magazine, WomanWise to see my piece, my photo and my signature. Every week it is thrill – [There I am, there is my work, my words, my writing. I'm really a writer. I'm living my dream]
My husband looks at my face while I’ll doing this and with a smile says, “You still can’t get over it can you?”
And he is right. It feels as good as my first time and yet it is better.
when I put my butt in my chair and get to it, the thrill is es
Cheryl,
I have known you for a long time. You should know that lately I just feel like I have lost my passion. Doesn’t mean I have lost my vanity! LOL. I do love seeing my name in print, or digital, or anywhere that it gets me more readers because I do love my readers.
I think I’m just in a dry spell.
Nice to “see” you again. Jinger
And hey, you know I love your stuff!
Aww good post. A good reminder of how I felt the first time I ever saw my writing in published words. I was pretty young and had finally broke into my dream as a reporter/photographer for the local newspaper and their sister paper. Though my pay was coming out about even with the uncompensated expenses of film and gas, I was ecstatic with the concept that ‘Yes, I’m a Writer.’
I think that over time you can easily forget the excitement of accomplishment and the satisfying feelings of excelling in your dream career.
This last week has been a bit more difficult to write, a big old block stuck in my head definately degrading the quality of my work. I think if you can renew your excitement.. Remember the dream your now living, it will definately help the quality of your writing.
And that’s what we all want right? Someone sitting down with a cup of coffee and savoring the words you’ve put together?
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