There was once a time where an artist was that a weird person, who did strange things, especially in seclusion. The incomprehensible one, sometimes drunk, sometimes crazy, but always different, in a way. Well, the meaning of different depends on other people’s eyes, but if you want to be taken seriously, you must be serious and be perceived as such.
Being a writer, or any other kind of artist is hard and you have so much competition (some of which you aren’t even aware of), so you must be professional, polite, respect schedules and above all else, be productive. Just do whatever it is you do, the best you can and then, try to become even better at it.
A professional writer
The way your text is presented is important. If you already had the opportunity of proposing an idea for a book, for example, without the need of having the whole story written down beforehand, you’re a lucky one, so, try to be professional and give it your all, the best you possibly can. Be detailed. Be passionate. Be more than your publisher or manager expects. Always!
Everything matters, the font, the font-size, the photos or imagery if applicable, everything will send a message about how professional you are. Use that in your favor.
Explore possibilities and use your intuition in the first drafts, but remember, these ones are meant just for your eyes. You need something more elaborate, and again, professional, for show, to publishers or editors. Use your ability to analyze and criticize your own work, as much as possible, and polish it the best you can, before sending it out to any publisher.
Learn, learn and learn some more
You can be some kind of genius and yet, still not know everything there is to know about a given subject you have interest in. If you were a doctor, you would be learning more things, newer things, all the time, in order to be a better doctor and help more patients. The same rules apply to other professions as well, so why not to a writer? It’s the only true way to becoming a better writer… studying and learning.
Learn a lot about the language you write in. Try to study it and learn as much as you can. Learn how to organize your work and your desk and workspace too. Every single detail can make the difference.
Do not disturb!
A writer usually works from his own home, which makes it difficult for him or her to avoid being interrupted all the time. This is especially true if you have any children, but writing needs concentration and discipline, so you must try to keep your focus.
Negotiate with your family in order to get some time alone, just for writing. No matter how small the amount of time you will have, it’s better than hours upon hours without any focus. Turn off your phone, close your browser and just let the words flow.
Cátia Isabel Silva 