In a few short weeks, I'll have the privilege of standing in front of an auditorium full of eager high school students and talking to them about making a career out of writing.
And I can already tell you my first question for them: What type of writer are you?
I love asking this question because the reality is that no two writers are the same, and their answers – particularly from young writers just starting out – are fascinating and run the gamut.
One may want to be a sportswriter or cover local politics for the New York Times, but another wants to be a skit writer for Saturday Night Live.
Then there are the novelists, movie review writers, and grant writers.
And don't forget travel writers, satirists, bloggers, speechwriters ... the list goes on and on.
I wrote about this at length in Chapter 6 of my book, Write Like You Mean It: Mastering Your Passion For The Written Word. When it comes to writing, there are plenty of options to utilize your talents. You simply have to ask yourself, what type of writer am I?
Here is a brief excerpt from Chapter 6 on the path I chose when it came to my writing career:
...
Coming out of college, I imagined myself being a sportswriter for the rest of my life. I was a jock growing up, and I lived for enough free time to watch SportsCenter on loop for hours on end. Even all these years later, if you ask me what's my favorite thing to write about, I'll say sports every time. But as more time went on, I realized that as much as I love sports writing, I wanted to experience more of what the writing life had to offer.
So what type of writer are you? Perhaps you've been dreaming for years about being a novelist. Maybe you want to write for the New York Times. Possibly, a skit writer for Saturday Night Live sounds pretty cool to you. Or maybe you see yourself one day being a speechwriter for the president. Or you could decide you want to write about it all – like me!
Whatever the case, be the writer you want to be. If you can do that, you are well on your way, my friends.
How can you get your hands on Write Like You Mean It?
This book is for writers of all experience levels, genres, and professional pursuits. Whether you’re a journalist, college writer, aspiring freelancer, or future novelist, this book is for you, so you too can Write Like You Mean It!
Get your copy:
Patchouli Joe's: https://www.patchoulijoesbooks.com/book/9781612545271
Thank you for reading!
STEVE GAMEL is the President & Owner of Edit This®, a writing and editing services company in Denton, TX. He is also the author of Write Like You Mean It: Mastering Your Passion For The Written Word. Steve handles anything involving the written word. Give him a call today to help give your business a clear voice.