Many aspiring writers leave college or university with the hope of immediately pursing a career in the field. While this can certainly be made possible, becoming a writer isn’t the same as the other professions you can enter into with a degree or diploma. Writing is competitive and sometimes demanding. What really sets you apart from any of the other writers? If you are thinking about pursuing a career in the field, it is useful to start while you’re studying. Here are some important points for students to consider.
It is imperative to do research on the industry to understand what exactly a career in writing entails. While it isn’t necessary to choose a specific subject, as many writers are diverse, it is best to have a general idea on the kind of writing you would primarily like to do. Do you want to be a freelance writer or work for a publishing company? Perhaps you aspire to be a novelist, poet or playwright. There are other niches such as academic writing, creative writing, content writing, content marketing, proofreading, editing, copywriting and blogging. Knowing the field you are most interested in breaking into is a great place to start.
Maybe you want to write a collection of short stories or poems for submission or perhaps you would like to become a full-time blogger. Regardless, it is important to start building a portfolio as soon as possible. Start writing your stories or poems now. If you are thinking of writing a blog, you should do it. There are many online writing platforms that seek guest contributors, just typing into the google search bar your topic of interest and ‘write for us’ can show plenty of options. Finding an internship could also be an invaluable way to gain experience and is an excellent predecessor to further employment.
Additionally, there are other writing opportunities that you can get involved in while you are studying. Your university or college might be able to direct you to any potential openings to write for magazines or on competitions you could apply for. If there is a creative writing department in your place of study there will no doubt be information or Facebook groups you might be able to join that announce new openings. There may also be opportunities within your place of study that are organized by your college or university. Getting involved in these kinds of opportunities are an excellent way to see how the publishing process works through having your own first publications.
This is one of the most important ways to improve your writing craft, especially if your studies are not directly related to literature or creative writing. It is essential to write as much as possible to hone your abilities and improve your work. You should begin writing daily if you don’t already. Blogging, writing short stories or poem, or even keeping a diary are great ways to make sure you’re constantly writing! Likewise, reading is equally important and there are many books on creative writing such as Robert Graham’s The Road To Somewhere: A Creative Writing Companion and Steve May’s Doing Creative Writing that I personally found valuable while I studied creative writing.
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