There's Always Room For Improvement

As a writer you have to pay your dues and keep challenging yourself to get better. This does not mean going on a creative sabbatical or suffering for your craft.  It does, however, mean spending some time paying homage to the fundamentals of writing such as basic grammar and other fundamentals.  Don't fall into the trap of thinking that you know everything there is to know about writing, because arrogance does not translate well on paper.

BASIC GRAMMAR

Yep, it's important. 

Everyone remembers sitting through tedious grammar courses in school, and not many people necessarily get a kick out of conjugating verbs and conducting spell checks.  The truth is this though: you simply cannot hope to become a successful writer if you do not have a good grasp on the language in which you are writing.  You may be making common mistakes which make editors cringe, and you are completely unaware.  Can you find the mistakes in these sentences?

If a stranger walks into the bar, it's their own mistake. 
This sentence mixes a singular term (a stranger) with a plural one (their).  Unless the writer wants to specify the gender of the stranger (it's his or her mistake) then the sentence may need to be rewritten to flow a little more smoothly: It's a big mistake for a stranger to walk into the bar.

I just don't know.  Really.  I don't.
Fragment sentences like the middle one shown here (Really) can detract from writing and make it look choppy.  Not only is it grammatically incorrect, but it can make the piece harder to read. 

"Its time to go!" he shouted.
In this instance, a missing apostrophe makes the sentence incorrect.  The proper sentence should read like this: "It's time to go!" he shouted.  Basic grammar issues like this can occasionally happen to any writer, but if you have real problems with keeping your grammar straight then you will inevitably have real problems with getting writing jobs.

But what she really likes is the color brown.
The writing community is torn on whether or not to allow sentences to start with the words but or and.  We were all taught in school that sentences should not start with these words, but it is becoming more acceptable to do it.  For now, at the beginning of your writing career, it is best to stay away from doing anything contrary to what you were taught when you studied fundamental grammar in school.  Save the tricky and rebellious writing for when you get more established and find an editor who does not cringe when they see a sentence started with but or and.

Although it is true that many brilliant authors will throw some fragment sentences into their work along with other improper grammar, these are well-versed writers who know how to make this type of thing work.  Luckily for today's writers, word processing programs on computers catch a good amount of grammar problems.  On the other hand, these programs cannot catch them all.  

Buy a basic grammar book for writers. 

If you find that you sometimes get stuck on basic grammar issues, such as when to use laying as opposed to lying, then you should invest in a grammar book.  You can either find a nice used college grammar textbook, or instead simply peruse the reference section of your local bookstore.  You don't need to buy anything fancy or expensive, but do purchase a book which is easy to reference and has answers to your common grammar dilemmas.  Keep this book within arm's reach whenever you are writing so you can quickly look up anything which has you perplexed.  It is far preferable for you to get these simple issues hammered out before sending your work on to an editor.

Take a course. 

Community colleges offer a wide variety of grammar classes, whether you just want to brush up on your grammar or if you are instead ready to sink your teeth into the intricacies of grammar structure.  If you aren't currently enrolled in school you can still sign up for one grammar class.  You may want to simply audit the class instead of doing it for an actual grade, but then again if you have been toying with the idea of returning to school then this could be a great start.  Either way, if you find yourself making grammar mistakes on a regular basis then you should really look into taking some sort of class so that you can become a more effective writer.

READ ABOUT WRITING

There are more books about the art of writing than you know.  Have you checked out the writing section of your local bookstore? It is usually nestled in between the reference books and some other section, and the variety of books you can purchase about the art of writing is staggering.  You can get some great books written by established authors in which they discuss their career progression. 

You can find plenty of how-to books regarding writing, such as how to get published, how to write a book, how to write a magazine article proposal, and how to find writing jobs.  There are inspirational books to shake writer's block, there are reference books which list all the magazines and publishers who accept unsolicited queries, and there are plenty of grammar and writing style books too. 

If you have not yet sat down and read any books like these, it's time that you invested in one or two and cracked them open.  You never know what great tidbit you may run across which will help you with your writing or inspire you to pursue a different writing niche.  Try to avoid buying books which hype up the idea that you can make a fortune by writing from home regardless of your talent level, and instead concentrate on getting books which will inspire you and make you a better writer.  

You don't know it all. 

You may be God's gift to the writing world, but that doesn't mean that you couldn't benefit from some more knowledge.  The people who write books about writing are all professionals, and have been through much more than you have when it comes to sifting their way through the trials and tribulations of becoming a paid writer.  You can benefit from their knowledge and use it to your advantage, but only if you take the time to read the books.  Don't allow yourself to think that you don't need any advice, because you more than likely do. 

You never know when you might be saved from embarrassing mistakes.  Aside from common grammar errors, there are other mistakes you might be making that you can recognize when you read books about writing.  You may think that it's a great idea to march into a newspaper editor's office without an appointment and demand a job, littering his or her desk with your crumpled samples.  You then read a book which tells you that there is a proper and improper way to approach an editor for a job, and you realize that you have been going about it all wrong. 

You can always benefit from more knowledge, and if you don't personally have a writing mentor then books about writing can give you all the great advice which will assist you as you progress through your career.  Try a couple of writing books and you will probably be hooked.  After all, knowledge is indeed power. 

WRITING COURSES

Colleges, professional organizations, and charlatans offer classes. No matter what type of writing you aspire to do, there is probably a course out there that you can take.  Beware the hyped-up courses which promise to teach you how to make ten gazillion dollars by writing one or two sales letters for corporations.  Instead, look for courses which promise to make you a better writer and to teach you the intricacies associated with being a successful writer. 

Avoid classes which breeze into town, hype up writing as the next great way to make your fortune, and then give you the hard sell to buy a copy of the speaker's so-called system.  A better idea is to look for a class at a college or community center which is taught by someone who is an accomplished writer.  If you are going to pay money to listen to this person spout wisdom, then the speaker should be someone who actually makes a living by writing…not someone who makes their living by traveling from town to town, selling a "Get Rich from Writing" system.

Some are free, some are not. 

If you decide to take a writing class through a local college or university you will more than likely have to pay a tuition fee in addition to buying a textbook or two.  You may be able to find free classes through a community center or other organization, but you will want to make sure that the person teaching the class is someone who actually knows what he or she is talking about.  You don't want to give up a Saturday afternoon only to listen to someone chat about the blog he or she writes which hopefully someday will bring in an income.  You should only sign up for writing classes which are taught by someone who actually knows the tricks of the trade.  Otherwise, it's just a waste of your time.

Take an online course if you're a busy person. 

If you are all gung-ho to take a writing class but find that you cannot make time in your schedule to go take a class at a university or college, you may want to take a look around online and see what classes are being offered by reputable schools.  Since many accredited colleges have online courses now for their busy students, you may want to surf around the various online offerings of reputable colleges. 

The beauty of online courses is that you can check in whenever you would like to, and you can take a class from a prestigious university without ever needing to step foot on the campus.  You can do some networking while taking an online writing class, and you will probably learn lots of great things to help you along with your writing.  If you are just starting out with your writing career, you can also use an online writing course as a résumé blurb.

BULK UP YOUR PORTFOLIO

Do some free work for charities or businesses. 

If you have friends who have small home businesses, such as Mary Kay or Pampered Chef, then you may want to consider writing up a sales letter for them at no charge.  This will give you great practice and will also give you something to bulk up your portfolio.  Even a three sentence blurb on a sales flyer is something you can put in your portfolio, so don't be shy about asking people if you can do some free writing for them. 

You might also want to scour the Internet for volunteer opportunities for writing or check with local organizations.  If your church sends out a monthly newsletter to congregation members you may want to offer to contribute an article to it, or if the school you attend needs writers for the campus newspaper then jump right in and volunteer your time.  Whatever you get into print is something you can showcase when you attempt to apply for a job.

Look for start-up publications. 

New publications pop up all the time, and usually their beginning budget is close to nothing.  For this reason, these types of publications often seek out new writers who are willing to work for nothing more than a byline in the magazine.  When you are first starting out you might want to seek out these types of non-paying jobs for a few reasons:

• You will receive a byline and have something to show prospective employers.
• Even though you aren't receiving pay, you will probably be able to write about something fun.  Some start-up publications will allow you to choose your own topic for your article or column.
• You can get in on the ground floor.  After all, you never know when a publication might take off and become a paying gig.
• You may be offered another position, such as an editor or regular columnist, simply because there is nobody else to do it.  This allows you to gain valuable writing experience in addition to great experience in whatever other positions the editor-in-chief has you do.

The majority of start-up publications don't become big money-makers, and some of them shut down before you can even earn your byline.  You should not allow the fear of the magazine possibly folding to make you shy away from taking on work like this, though.  To find non-paying start-up magazine jobs, check out an online writing jobs website and look through the non-paying jobs section.  You are bound to find plenty of available writing positions posted by aspiring magazine moguls.  

Work for dirt. 

This suggestion is only for when you are first starting out.  If you find that a year has gone by and you are still bringing in the same rate of pay that you brought in when you first started writing, then something isn't working right.  Your writing income should steadily increase as you take on more writing jobs and get more efficient at churning out quality writing quickly. 

As your résumé grows, you can also command a higher rate of pay than you would if you were just starting out and didn't have any writing credits to your name.  For this reason, you should not think it is unreasonable to make a low amount of money for the first few months of your writing career.  Think of the lower paying jobs you take on in the beginning as a means to build up your portfolio and to practice working under a deadline.  It is not uncommon for new writers to get paid just a couple of dollars for an article.  You should not accept the same rate of pay, however, once you have established yourself as a reliable and talented writer.

Try writing a blog. 

It doesn't cost anything to start up a blog, and blogs can be a great way to show off your writing style.  Set a blog up for yourself and then just start writing.  Compose a short blurb every day if you can, but always check your writing for spelling and grammar errors before you publish it.  Even if you are writing about informal things - your kid's daily activities, a show you watch every week, the weather - you never know when you might use it as proof that you can write often and well, so make sure it looks good.  Unless you are attempting to become an outspoken political writer, steer clear of filling your blog with passionate views which may be contrary to what potential employers are looking for. 

Remember that the Internet is a small world, and even if you don't send a potential employer to your blog, the employer will likely stumble across it.  The things write in your blog should be things which you wouldn't mind absolutely everyone reading, whether it's a potential employer, your grandmother, or your spouse.  Don't let the informal format of a blog fool you into thinking it's okay to use this medium as a way to cuss out the people who bother you.  These things get read, like it or not.

Every writer starts somewhere. 

Even if you are a grandparent, it isn't too late for you to start a career in writing.  Conversely, if you are a young person with absolutely no writing experience, there is a place for you in the writing world.  You just can't be afraid to go out and get what you want.  Trust in your talent to take you to the places you want to go with your career.

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