All throughout the workshop, the pair shared indispensable advice that any writer would do well to follow:
How to Survive as a Writer: 5 Top Tips from Writer’s Block Philippines
5. “Read!”
You could hear the excitement and urgency in Ana’s voice as she said this – as if your whole career as a writer depended on it. And it’s true – all writers should swear by it. Stephen King put it bluntly when he wrote: “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that…Reading is the creative center of a writer’s life.” In the same way that food is nourishment for the body, books are nourishment for the writer’s soul. You learn from the greats by reading their works, by taking in the cadence of their words, by letting them sweep you with their descriptions and stories. “I still fall in love every time I find something that captivates me. The book takes me somewhere else,” Ana said.
4. Write every day.
“It’s like a muscle. You have to work it out everyday,” Ana said during the workshop. She added that in the digital age, there are so many channels where you can express yourself. Taking the time to write well, even if it is just a Facebook status or a short passage on your blog, can help you develop your unique voice.
Nikka also said that each writer has a golden hour when it is easiest for him or her to write. “My golden hour is at night,” she said. “Find a conducive place for writing. Lessen clutter in your surroundings. Then take advantage of your golden hour.” If you’re having a hard time starting something, you can do some pre-writing exercises like making an outline, drawing a mindmap, or freewriting – most of the time, the only way to battle writer’s block is to actually write something.
3. Have your writer’s cap on all the time.
“Writing is not a 9-5 job. We are writers everyday,” Nikka said. She recalled an assignment wherein she had to write a restaurant review. At the end of the visit, she was able to think of three other articles with different angles that she could submit to other publications. Versatility is an important skill to have as a freelance writer. “Always look for opportunities and think of various ways to write stories,” she said.
2. Write about things that interest you.
As a writer, your voice stems from who you are and what kind of things you like as a person. “What I love most about the creative freelance life is that I get to choose what I want to write about,” Ana said. While writing as a profession can entail certain projects that you aren’t always crazy about, you should always be on the lookout for pieces that tug at your heartstrings, that make you think – these will usually result in your best work.
1. Sell your work.
“I’m not delusional. I’m an entrepreneur,” Ana said. “Because the truth is, if you want to keep doing what you love, you have to sustain it.” The pair believes that writing is first about discovery, and then it is about selling it. One practical tip is to study the publications you wish to submit to and find out the crucial information like what articles they publish, who their audience is, and what tone they use.
Ultimately, writing is about sitting down each day and putting one word in front of the other – it takes hard work and discipline. “If you don’t have the discipline, it would be hard to survive in this industry,” Nikka said. But at the same time, writing as a profession means having to produce work that pays the bills. That’s why Writer’s Block Philippines does what it does, pushing writers to embrace the label creative entrepreneurs. “When we say you can make a career out of being a writer, we mean you have to be the best that you can be,” Ana concluded. “That’s how you build your brand, and that’s how you diversify income, and that’s how you become a sustainable writer.”
"Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds." Inspired by the words of author Ray Bradbury, Trish Lim left her job in advertising to travel and pursue writing. She finds inspiration in the stories of people and places, and documents her adventures in a blog called www.trishintransit.com.
How to Survive as a Writer: 5 Top Tips from Writer’s Block Philippines
All throughout the workshop, the pair shared indispensable advice that any writer would do well to follow:
How to Survive as a Writer: 5 Top Tips from Writer’s Block Philippines
5. “Read!”
You could hear the excitement and urgency in Ana’s voice as she said this – as if your whole career as a writer depended on it. And it’s true – all writers should swear by it. Stephen King put it bluntly when he wrote: “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that…Reading is the creative center of a writer’s life.” In the same way that food is nourishment for the body, books are nourishment for the writer’s soul. You learn from the greats by reading their works, by taking in the cadence of their words, by letting them sweep you with their descriptions and stories. “I still fall in love every time I find something that captivates me. The book takes me somewhere else,” Ana said.
4. Write every day.
“It’s like a muscle. You have to work it out everyday,” Ana said during the workshop. She added that in the digital age, there are so many channels where you can express yourself. Taking the time to write well, even if it is just a Facebook status or a short passage on your blog, can help you develop your unique voice.
Nikka also said that each writer has a golden hour when it is easiest for him or her to write. “My golden hour is at night,” she said. “Find a conducive place for writing. Lessen clutter in your surroundings. Then take advantage of your golden hour.” If you’re having a hard time starting something, you can do some pre-writing exercises like making an outline, drawing a mindmap, or freewriting – most of the time, the only way to battle writer’s block is to actually write something.
3. Have your writer’s cap on all the time.
2. Write about things that interest you.
As a writer, your voice stems from who you are and what kind of things you like as a person. “What I love most about the creative freelance life is that I get to choose what I want to write about,” Ana said. While writing as a profession can entail certain projects that you aren’t always crazy about, you should always be on the lookout for pieces that tug at your heartstrings, that make you think – these will usually result in your best work.
1. Sell your work.
“I’m not delusional. I’m an entrepreneur,” Ana said. “Because the truth is, if you want to keep doing what you love, you have to sustain it.” The pair believes that writing is first about discovery, and then it is about selling it. One practical tip is to study the publications you wish to submit to and find out the crucial information like what articles they publish, who their audience is, and what tone they use.
Ultimately, writing is about sitting down each day and putting one word in front of the other – it takes hard work and discipline. “If you don’t have the discipline, it would be hard to survive in this industry,” Nikka said. But at the same time, writing as a profession means having to produce work that pays the bills. That’s why Writer’s Block Philippines does what it does, pushing writers to embrace the label creative entrepreneurs. “When we say you can make a career out of being a writer, we mean you have to be the best that you can be,” Ana concluded. “That’s how you build your brand, and that’s how you diversify income, and that’s how you become a sustainable writer.”
Writer’s Block Philippines
Website: https://www.writersblockphilippines.com
Email: writersblock.ph@gmail.com
How to Survive as a Writer: 5 Top Tips from Writer’s Block Philippines
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About The Author
"Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds." Inspired by the words of author Ray Bradbury, Trish Lim left her job in advertising to travel and pursue writing. She finds inspiration in the stories of people and places, and documents her adventures in a blog called www.trishintransit.com.