OHS for writers Archives -

Champion: Top of Stok Kangri, India. Photo by Kev Howlett

We all want to be a champion in our writing life. We want to be able to articulate the ideas and thoughts in our head and share that with a reader. But any great champion needs support and guidance to get to where they want to go.

Writing is an especially lonesome activity. Unlike something like training for a marathon, where you can measure your progress through your fitness or physical prowess, the only way to know if you are improving or even on the right track, is to get feedback on your work. For many writers, this can be daunting. Some writers even think they don’t need it because their writing is going to evolve into a bestseller. Yes, it’s true.

What kind of help might a writer look for?

Seek Feedback

If you’ve written a novel and no one except you has read it, how do you know if it’s any good? The first step is to have someone read it. This may be paralysing for some but if you really want your work out in the world, many people will read it eventually. You want it to be the best it can be. Feedback at this stage is critical.

Join a Writing Group

One reader’s opinion is great but not well rounded because writing, like any art form is subjective. Being in a writing group with several other writers who can give you valuable, critical feedback is priceless. Some of your group won’t like or get your writing, others will but the aim in this situation is to be able to tell each other what does or doesn’t work and how it might be improved.

Not only will you grow as a writer, you will also learn what a reader looks for in a story. You will also learn how to articulate what does and doesn’t work in a story, which can be translated in your own writing. Hanging out with likeminded people also makes the writing journey much less lonely.

Find a Mentor

You can travel the writing journey on your own but this means that you will make many mistakes that may set you back time and time again. These mistakes may even mean that you never reach your destination.

Every champion has a coach or mentor. Mentors provide guidance, training, inspiration and motivation. Your mentor has walked the journey that you want to follow (if you’ve found the right one), which means they have many lessons to share with you.

What do you need from your guide? You need them to be honest with you about your work and the direction you want to go. You need practical advice on ways to improve your work, how to get into the writing industry and how to keep going when you are ready to give up. This person will teach you, from their own experience, the things you need to know that will fast track you to your destination.

Is there someone you know who can fulfil any of these roles above, someone who will help you get to where you want to go so that you can be a champion? They could be friends, colleagues, someone at the library, a writer’s centre. When you start looking, the right person will show up. If you think our Creative Fellowship might help, check it out here.

Blaise the book chick

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Humans have been telling stories for as long as we have been able to communicate. From early cave drawings to oral stories around the fire. Stories are what bind humanity, allowing us to be connected, nurtured, entertained and educated.

Modern technology allows us to share our stories in so many amazing ways – some good, some not so good. Because there is so much out there for us to consume we can actually start to feel disconnected by so much white noise. It can be overwhelming. There is so much information, so many stories, that it becomes hard work to sift through everything.

For the person with a story to tell, there are so many ways to share it that this also becomes overwhelming. Do you write an article, a book, blog, create a video or podcast?

It always comes back to your intention, what you want your story to accomplish. If you want to write a novel, that is obviously a book. If you’ve overcome adversity that could be a book, a documentary, a series of blog posts or all three.

At our last Publish for Profit session, we had Peter Helft, from Jongleur, talk to the group about using video to tell your story or to promote your book. Peter gave us some amazing statistics about social media platforms that really make it a no brainer in terms of sharing information to the wider population. The reach is huge, it’s easy to implement and free or cost effective (paid ads).

When you think about how most people consume media, visual platforms outperform everything because the majority of us are visual communicators. If you want to find out more about the different ways we communicate, or consume material, have a think about whether you are auditory, visual or kinesthetic in your preference. This site may illuminate things a little for you: http://visualteachingalliance.com/ OR you can google it!

So what does that mean for writers? It means that we keep writing but we can use different platforms to make our audience aware that we even exist. We need to do this because we need to cut through all the noise. When you think about the fact that people buy people (no matter what story you have), we need to connect with them. This is where the whole ‘author platform’ comes in. The upshot is that visual communication should be a BIG part of your marketing plan. Share photos and videos, live stream on Facebook and you will be able to reach more people and get your story into their hands.

At the next Publish for Profit, we’ll be learning about how to blog. Go here to find out more.

Blaise the book chick

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Every champion needs help

How do you tell people about your story?