How to be a great writer [6 tips]

Just imagine. Relaxing mornings spent in your local coffee shop, casually producing content on your MacBook Air with a perfectly crafted flat white made with oat milk. This is what being a writer is all about, right?

WRONG.

As rewarding and fulfilling as writing can be it doesn’t come without its fair share of challenges. Here are just five of my most annoying daily struggles, and how I (attempt to) overcome them:

Motivating yourself to be productive

Productivity is an elusive concept, especially if you’re self-employed with only yourself to hold you accountable. We all have some days that are better than others, and motivating yourself to actually get work done can sometimes be a real drag.

Creating a vision board filled with your ambitions will help you to really visualise your goals and keep them in the forefront of your mind for a successful and productive day. Put it somewhere you’ll notice it every day, perhaps above your workspace - I keep mine across from my bed, so it’s the first and last thing I see every day. In addition, I’d highly recommend developing a morning routine to set your day up for success. Two popular books that have worked for me are The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod, and The 5 am Club by Rob Sharma.

The dreaded writer's block
I know. It is such a huge cliche that I bet you’re thinking: ‘damn, I could have written this article.’ Well, that’s the whole point, you could have. Unfortunately, the issue with a writer's block is you can literally write about anything in the whole entire universe, meaning on the odd occasion you’re not genuinely inspired by a particular topic you lack drive. My surefire way to combat a writer's block, and to rekindle my creative juices is by a spot of meditation or yoga, followed by honing in on a particular topic and creating mind maps on potential blog titles centred on one theme.

Being consistent with your posting schedule
Perhaps, my biggest Achilles heel, and arguably one the most fundamental attributes to being a great writer. We’re not just talking about producing consistent, quality content or writing in a uniform voice, but being predictable in your posting schedule, so your readers know when to expect content from you.

etimes it can be tough, and you’ve had a hectic week full of work demands, project deadlines and general life admin getting in the way. Nevertheless, there IS a relatively simple solution. Well, one writing hack that works wonders for me is developing all the potential blogs I generated while I had a case of writer's block whenever I have free time. Not only is this a perfect way to utilise ‘free’ time but it also helps you stay consistent with posting on the odd occasion you’re dealing with the immense pressure of life.

Producing great content each and every time
Writing is an art, and every artist demands that each piece of work is a true masterpiece. Of course nobody wants to create bad art; however, if you don’t offer your work to the world, nobody can be influenced by it. Being a perfectionist and having pride in your work are admirable qualities, but the best way to improve is to create quantity in order to get a feel for what’s your best and how to improve each time.

Staying positive in the face of potential failure
Being a writer is hard, and not everything you write is going to be an instant hit. Whether you specialise in blogs, journalism or even fiction, having an optimistic outlook on work is imperative to producing quality content and remaining confident in your skills. There are times when you’ll feel like you’re hitting your head against a brick wall and nothing you do will be good enough, but just remember that positive thinking breeds a positive outcome. I’m a true believer that a positive mindset paired with moderate expertise is a recipe for success in any aspect of life.

We all face challenges in our role on a daily basis, but how we tackle them truly determines our rate of success and, more importantly, our stress levels.

To conclude, here's a summary of my tips for writing success:
1. Create a vision board full of your life ambitions.
2. Own your morning and elevate your life.
3. Write down every idea, no matter how outlandish, impossible or dull. Before you know it, you’ll have an entire portfolio of potential blogs to revisit at a later date.
4. Have timeless content that can be posted on schedule.
5. Done is better than perfect.
6. Say daily affirmations in the morning, and I guarantee you’ll notice a shift in your mood instantly.