You will not become a successful writer accidentally. You will need to develop yourself as a writer and learn from others better than yourself if you want to succeed. So, where should you begin?
I’ve had the privilege of writing full time for over three years now. The work I get to do today isn’t something I take for granted. It took me several years, many sleepless nights and early mornings, and the guidance of trusted friends to help me along the way.
The opportunities I have today didn’t happen accidentally. Yes, I’ve had some unplanned breaks come my way that made a tremendous difference. But I wouldn’t have been in a position to take advantage of them if I wasn’t putting in the work ahead of time.
If you want to become a full-time writer, then you have to intentionally work toward becoming one. This involves developing great writing habits, learning from others, and becoming a voracious reader.
Over the years, I’ve read countless blogs and books, and I’ve developed writing habits that have helped me to become a full-time writer. To help you decrease your learning curve, I want to share with you some of the lessons and resources that have helped me develop myself as a writer.
So, this week on The Portfolio Life, Andy Traub and I discuss the three habits writers should build and the three blogs and three books every writer should read.
If you want to become a full-time writer, then I encourage you to listen in as Andy and I talk about the importance of developing writing habits, and the lessons you’ll learn from the different blogs and books I recommend.
Listen to the podcast
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Show highlights
In this episode, Andy and I discuss:
- The three habits every writer should build to become a more productive writer.
- The three parts of writing you need to master.
- How to create a folder full of writing ideas and prompts.
- Different tools you can use to capture ideas and write.
- Why you need to learn from someone far better than yourself to improve as a writer.
- Why most people struggle with writer’s block.
- The three blogs writers should read.
- One overlooked step to becoming a great writer.
Quotes and takeaways
- You want to close the gap between thinking about what you’re going to write and actually writing it.
- Give yourself time to think about what you’ve written. This will help you to review your work with a fresh set of eyes.
- If you want to become a great writer, then you have to learn from someone far better than yourself.
Resources
- How to Get Your Writing Done Every Day: The Three-Bucket System, by Jeff.
- Drafts, a note-taking app.
- Evernote.
- My 500 Words.
- My 500 Words Facebook Group.
- The Write Practice.
- The New Yorker.
- Copyblogger.
- The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield.
- Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott.
- On Writing, by Stephen King.
- On Writing Well, by William Zinsser.
- Writing resource recommendations from Jeff.
- Pocket Casts, a podcast player.
- Download the full transcript here.
What writing habit, blog, or book has helped you to become a better writer? Share in the comments.
