The number one question I get asked by moms is, “How can I get started as a writer?” Here’s what I’ve learned over twenty years of professionally writing and editing:
1. Consider school. Even if you weren’t Journalism major in college and did very little writing in your pre-children career, it’s not too late to start. I was a high school newspaper geek and a college English major, but I really learned how to write on-the-job, working at six major national consumer magazines in ten years. After that I started a lucrative freelance writing and editing business. You can learn how to write through an on-line class (check out mediabistro.com) or at your community college. It shouldn’t have to cost you too much to benefit from a professional writing instructor.
2. Schedule it. Like exercise or date night, carving out writing time takes discipline. When I was writing my book about raising young twins, I had young twins, so my window of quiet thought was from 4 to 6 am. I woke up at that ungodly hour every weekday for about two years, and on some weekends. I drank too much coffee and Diet Coke, but I met my deadlines. (I woke up at 5 am today to write this!) Lots of writers find the wee hours of the morning to be their most lucid. You may be a late night writer mom. Either way, do your best to make it a habit. Even if you only eek out a paragraph of nonsense, you are still firing synapses and exercising that beautiful brain.
3. Immerse yourself. Try to figure out what kind of writing you like to read. What do you think makes a good work or fiction or a great newspaper article? Who are your writer heroes? Who’s writing career would you like to emulate? Read books and blogs about writing. I liked Anne Lamott’s book Bird by Bird.
4. Find writer friends. I mean actual people, not just connections on Linked In or Facebook. These may be folks in writing class or columnists at your local newspaper. Chat with them in person about your ideas. Ask them about local writing opportunities for beginners.
5. Stick with it. You need writing samples in order to get writing work. To grow your portfolio, you may have to write for free or in a style that doesn’t suit you. You can learn something from every assignment.
6. Thicken your skin. Being a writer means having your ideas rejected all the time. Even if you’re lucky enough to find an editor who like one of your ideas, he or she may not like how you execute it. I have had to rewrite a long article three times only to have it killed (never printed) by a stiletto-wearing editrix. I have had words like, “Duh,” “Yawn,” and “Who Cares?” written in red editor ink next to sentences I worked hard to created. I can laugh about it all now.
By Christina Boyle Cush
Christina is the co-author of Twin Set: Moms of Multiples Share Survive and Thrive Secrets (The Crown Publishing Group, 2008). Her work has appeared in Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Modern Bride, Cosmopolitan, Ladies Home Journal, and Babytalk. She’s recently contributed a chapter to a National Geographic travel book and hopes to do more travel, decorating, and food writing in the near future.
