23 of 88

Write now Article Tools

If you're new to writing, there's no reason why your work can't be as good as - or better than - the work of someone who's been writing for years.All the reader sees is the written word. It speaks for itself.

In my days of working in a large advertising agency, we often had junior copywriters joining us. I can't think of any who had previous writing experience. They just enjoyed writing and wanted to make it a career of it. They usually started right at the bottom, on very low salaries.

Even so, they had to produce work that would be presented to clients and paid for by clients. Do you think a large advertising agency, with a reputation for excellence, is going to show a client shoddy work just because it was written by a junior? Or that a highly paid senior writer will give up their own work in order to rewrite a junior's piece if it isn't up to scratch?

Not at all. Somehow those juniors, with no experience, have to end up producing the goods. Every time. How do they do it? They rewrite. Again and again, and again if necessary, until the piece is right. Until the work speaks for itself.

And that's what makes a professional writer. Not the amount of experience you have, but the quality of your finished work. If you're new to writing, there's no reason why your work can't be as good as - or better than - the work of someone who's been writing for years.

A junior who takes writing seriously is going to try and learn from criticism, and rewrite that wretched piece yet again. An unprofessional junior will sulk and whine that nobody appreciates true talent and that the seniors are all scared of losing their jobs. In my experience, the juniors who wrote and rewrote went on to win advertising awards within a very short time. Those who sulked and whined, went on to complain that the judges were always biased.

If you boil it down to one single element, the only real difference between a new and a seasoned writer, is time. How often you have to rewrite until that piece looks perfect.
Until it speaks for itself.

So, how are you going to write without letting on that you've never done anything like this in your life before?

First, you're going to read other works, to get a feel of what they should sound like. If you want to write novels, read good novels. If you want to write for magazines, read the magazines you want to write for. You're not setting out to copy anyone's style, you're simply developing an understanding of what your market thinks is good.

Second, read about the craft

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Advice for new writers?
We want to hear your view. Write now!