Not everyone is born with a natural knack for writing and those who know they have what it takes often find themselves at odds with what they are able to produce, versus what their employer wants.
In many cases, the writer’s creative mind shuts down and what is left is a mediocre product that is completely devoid of any creativity or personal touch. Surely there has to be a balance between artistic freedom or creativity and the specifications of a writing job. The good news is that you don’t have to give up on who you are as a writer.
You can find inventive ways to improve your craft while maintaining a level of professional conduct.
Change things up
When you have been a freelance writer for a while, you often tend to get into a particular frame of mind and write in a particular way. Before you know it, you struggle to get out of the rut you are in and regurgitate the same old stuff, article after article.
When the writing isn’t fun anymore, you should change things up and switch your routine.
Things you can do as a change of routine
1. Read your brief
2. Analyze the register
3. Do two or three quick mock drafts
4. Don’t start either of them the same
5. Walk away
6. Start the final
Walking away from your work often clears your mind and give you end up getting a new perspective or fresh ideas. The mock drafts that you made are only meant to swirl around in your subconscious. That is where the magic happens.
As soon as you give your mind a rest, your subconscious takes over, and before you know it, your head is swimming with new ideas. You can also try some neuroscience methods to clear your mind.
Stream of consciousness
It often happens that even the most skilled writer gets to a point where they just cannot find the right words to say what they want to say. There is a technique called free-writing where you put every single thought that comes into your minds onto paper.
You tap into your stream of consciousness and jot all your thoughts down. Nothing escapes the pen. What you end up with is a couple of pages of random thoughts, questions, and expressions. Upon studying what was going on in your mind, you often find the answer to your question.
In truth, the only thing that the exercise does is to bring your speed of thought down, and it refocuses your mind to the task at hand. The writers as the essay service constantly do freewriting to get all the garbage out and make space for new and innovative thoughts.
Throw the rulebook out the window
It doesn’t matter what you are busy writing. You should always know that you got the job because you are good. When you build a name for yourself, nobody is going to question your ability.
Nobody is going to tell Stephen King how he should write his next novel. It doesn’t matter if he throws out the rulebook, he is not bound by the norms and standards of the Average Joe.
The thing is, when you are an expert in your craft, you don’t have to play by the rules either. You can bend them and twist them to serve your purposes. The rules are there to guide the newbie, but the expert already knows the ropes. The expert knows how to weave with words and color outside the lines to paint a new and refreshing painting.
Never sell yourself short
When you come to realize that you have a gift to play with words and put them down on paper so that a panorama unfolds for the reader, you should hold on to the revelation. There aren’t many good writers out there, and you should know that you are counted among the elite.
Nations rise and fall when words are strung together in the right way. Therefore, you should always keep in mind that you possess a skill that not many people have, and you should flaunt it.
You should always be confident in your writing, but always remember that there is a thin line between confidence and pride. When someone questions or queries your work, you should be open to criticism and learn from it.
The difference between someone who is good and someone who is superb is that the superb writer can take criticism on the chin and learn from it.
In short
Writing is a form of art like painting or making music. It is a skill that you need to develop constantly. Often times, you might feel that the job itself is draining you of all creativity, but it is in those times that you should find your voice and develop. It isn’t always easy, but going back to your roots will always remind you why you write in the first place.
