Stop. I see you, mid-eye-roll. I know you’re aware that you need to write regularly if you want to become a writer.
You might aim to write something every day, even if you don’t publish it anywhere. There’s no substitute for that type of practice. It’s that valuable.
But what do you write about if you don’t have any thoughts to express?
Some of you may now be talking out loud to your web browser to offer a rebuttal to that question, so I’m going to stop you again.
It was a trick question. If you’re a writer, there is always something to write about because of the way you view your experiences in the world.
Writers are fascinated with their experiences.
Today, I’m going to explore the outlook that helps you become a writer and how strong writing enables sharper content marketing.
Why you should write about everything that happens to you
A bee was trapped in my fireplace … Someone cut in line in front of me at the grocery store … I was stuck in rush-hour traffic …
Those are the types of experiences I used to turn into stories when I first started writing. And my writing style still includes relevant anecdotes that support the main message I want to communicate.
But in the early days of my writing journey, there wasn’t always a main message I wanted to communicate. I wasn’t creating content intentionally yet; I just needed to develop my writing voice and get used to typing words on a keyboard on a regular basis.
Even if you’ve never written anything before, that is the first step to take to become a writer.
As a side effect, you’ll strengthen skills that pair well with content marketing.
You’ll discover your brand of effective content
Content with no personality looks like a dictionary entry written by an anonymous person, but content with too much personality can look unprofessional.
Both extremes will damage your content marketing efforts, but it can be helpful to use those extremes to find the middle ground of effective content.
The more you write, the more you’ll be able to recognize the difference between generic content that could have been written by anyone, directionless content, and focused, engaging, goal-oriented content.
Your writing practice builds self-confidence that helps infuse your content with the right type of winning qualities that differentiate it from your competitors.
You’ll appreciate the details that separate remarkable content from dry content
When you embrace the art of carefully crafting your stories, vagueness becomes your enemy. It doesn’t serve you. You’ll crave vivid and sensory words.
Clear and detailed descriptions stamp your content with your unique brand. In order to sculpt those clear and detailed descriptions, you’ll naturally take on the responsibility of editing your writing.
As you write and rewrite, your editing skills will help you recognize and correct common mistakes you make.
You’ll develop the empathy that produces content that connects
Be kind and gentle with yourself when you make writing mistakes. Compassion for yourself will lead to compassion for others that radiates throughout remarkable content.
I used to cringe whenever I read a piece of my writing that was older than six months. I was embarrassed and saw opportunities to make it better — or wished that I didn’t write about the topic because it no longer interested me.
Now I’m not as hard on myself and appreciate the work I produced at that time.
Also, when you write about your experiences — especially experiences that involve other people — you have an opportunity to view situations from a perspective outside of your own mind. Take a moment to see the other person’s point of view.
Responding with empathy benefits content marketers who aim to relate and connect with their audiences.
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t write about an experience
Sometimes you’re tired and don’t feel like writing. Sometimes you want to do something else. But you may feel pressure to write anyway.
I support regular habits that promote productivity, but I like to view those habits with flexibility. It’s okay if you don’t do something you intended to do on a certain day or at a certain time.
That self-confidence I talked about above will also help you overcome stress, anxiety, and feeling overwhelmed because you’ll be confident that you can handle the work you need to do. You’ll feel capable, and you’ll know your writing task will get done well at the right time, even if it’s not when you originally planned to do your work.
Surrender to the evolution
The topics that interest you when you first start writing will change.
Sometimes your evolution will be gradual, and other times you’ll change directions abruptly because you’ll want to experiment with something new.
As you evolve as a person and a writer, you’ll become more selective about your content topics, but your refined palate and discerning taste will only ripen once you commit to writing.
Viewing experiences as potential stories is one way you can get started.
Work with life
Your writing is art; it’s supposed to be indulgent. I give you permission to dissect your existence.
When you feel good about yourself and the choices you make in your life, your confidence will spill over into your content, which puts you in a better position to attract the right audience for your products or services.
Do your experiences influence your writing and content marketing materials? How do you determine what is worth writing about?
Share in the comments below.
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