Comments on: Are you true to yourself as a writer?

By: Courtney

Courtney — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 23:54:17 +0000

I’m at the point where I know I don’t like the primary work I’m doing, but I’m not sure what work I want to be doing. I need to write, but have no idea what I need to be writing. I need to do some exploring!

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:03:41 +0000

I always wanted to be a fashion writer but I realized what I really like is women’s service journalism that isn’t fashion-heavy. So, I’m learning to do what I love

By: Gwynneth

Gwynneth — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:41:22 +0000

A very well put article on something so rarely acknowledged. Thanks for posting this.

By: Elaine Grant

Elaine Grant — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:12:35 +0000

Just to be clear — I’m not at all suggesting that you solely “write what you love.” I’ve made my living as a writer for more than 20 years, now, and if I’d done that I can assure you I would have starved. What I am suggesting is that you need to be true to your voice and your intellect. You won’t always have the opportunity to write about subjects you’re passionate about, but you can write about any subject in an authentic manner. For my student, that meant that she should avoid bullet-pointed service stories and work in a more sophisticated style. Some people LOVE service stories and should do them daily. Sure, avoid subjects that you hate, and especially anything that feels morally wrong. But don’t wait for the muse to strike — that’s no way to have a professional career. I hope that clears up some confusion

Elaine

By: m

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 07:43:00 +0000

You’ve got to try out different types of writing as well as various topics to find out what you want to write. I went from thinking I wanted to write about fashion and relationships to hard news to (finally) service on home & garden and writing business profiles. Go figure!