Are you a good enough writer to make it as a freelancer?
No matter what kind of writer you are, we all have this insecurity of “Is my writing good enough?” The only way to tell is by practicing and getting feedback.
Here are a few different ways to do that.
Clips Camp
A really simple way to practice is through writing exercises. My course, Clips Camp, has structured exercises that help you come up with ideas of what to write about and give you different frameworks you can use to write blog posts. If you don’t have Clips Camp and you want to learn more, go to clipscamp.com.
Generate Fresh Ideas
One of the big hurdles to clear when you’re practicing is figuring out what to write about. If you don’t have Clips Camp, there are other ways to get ideas, usually from the internet.
Here’s a shortcut: go to buzzsumo.com and pick any keyword. If you can’t think of one, put “freelance writing” and hit search. Look at the top 10 results.
Then pick one of those headlines. Your assignment is to write your version of that post.
Get Feedback from Writers
Once you have something written, get feedback on it. This is the best way to grow!
Every week in my Facebook group we have a thread where people can post things for feedback. This is a great opportunity to get some encouragement and honest feedback from other writers.
The more you open yourself up to feedback, even negative feedback, the faster you will improve. The initial discomfort in exposing your vulnerability to others gives way to the realization of the value of feedback. You can learn from it, making your future work even better.
Use it as momentum to move forward in your writing.
Don’t Let Fear Win
If getting feedback from other writers is too intimidating… you need to think about that. Intimidation is a type of fear, and fear won’t get you ahead.
Everyone starts somewhere. It’s way easier to get feedback from other writers, who are supportive and knowledgeable, than it is to get feedback from a client, who is holding your money. The writers in my free Facebook group, the Ink Well Guild, are a friendly bunch to start with.
Stop fear from holding on to you. If you are intimidated for 5 minutes, the grip fear has on you won’t be as powerful as if you are intimidated for 5 years. Kill the fear.
Push through the intimidation. It’s just as easy to do it now as it will be in 5 years (it’s true!).
Fear will only hold you back. If you truly want this, you have to overcome the fear. I’ve built a supportive environment to make it as easy as possible for you, but only YOU can take that final step.
