Writers: Start Acting Like Professionals

Photo credit: Johan Larsson on Flickr
I am an unpublished writer, and I'm sure many of you reading this are also unpublished writers. Despite my not-in-bookstore status, I decided a long time ago to take some writing advice that I'd read over and over again, namely, to stop acting like a writer who was trying to get published and to start acting like a professional. 

What I mean is if you treat your writing like a hobby rather than a job, then you'll be hard pressed to try to do those things that professional writers do, like finish novels and write until your fingers want to fall off and edit your work to death. If you treat your writing like a hobby rather than a job, then you really can't expect anyone else to see it your passion as anything more than just a hobby. 

If you treat your writing like another job, however, I think you'll find that not only will you become more productive, but you'll become more confident in your writing (at least, I did). 

But what exactly do I mean by acting like a professional writer? Well, let's take a look at some things most (or at least many) professional writers do: 

  • Professional writers write to routine. Every writer is a little different—some write every day, others five or six days a week, others less, but the point is they develop some sort of method that works for them and they stick with it. Professional writers can't allow themselves to slack off for long—they have deadlines to meet and bills to pay and this is how they work. Which leads me to...

  • Professional writers meet deadlines. Published authors are constantly working under a deadline—whether it's a draft that's due, or a proposal for the next novel or a synopsis or whatever the agent/publisher/reader needs, published writers live by deadlines. And in order to pay the bills and keep their contracts and continue progressing, published authors do what they have to to make sure they meet their deadlines. 

  • Professional writers edit their work. I don't mean a casual sweep through, either—many published authors have been known to entirely rewrite their work from scratch or rip their drafts apart until the first draft is no longer recognizable. 

  • Professional writers read a lot. I've written in the past about why this is so important, but it's no coincidence that most published authors also happen to be avid readers. Reading is essential to good writing. 

  • Professional writers keep writing. When a writer's agent can't find a publisher who will buy their work, the professionals keep writing. When the book doesn't sell as well as they'd hoped, professionals keep writing. When the first draft looks absolutely horrendous and they start to wonder whether their story idea was worth writing at all, professional writers keep writing. Period. 
Now the secret is this: you don't have to be published to write like a professional. You don't need to have a contract to set deadlines for yourself, or create some kind of weekly routine. You don't need an agent or a publisher or a hoard of raving fans demanding your next book to keep writing and reading and editing your work and doing the very best you possibly can to write a fantastic story. All you need is you. 

The way I see it, if we act like professionals now, we'll be better off later when we actually are professionals with real deadlines to meet. In the meantime, we'll just keep doing what we do. 

What are your thoughts? Do you treat your writing like a job or a hobby?

Twitter-sized bites:
Stop acting like a writer trying to get published and start acting like a professional. (Click to tweet)
You don't have to be published to write like a professional. (Click to tweet

25 comments:

  1. At a book signing this morning, a friend stopped by and we got to chatting (he's in my local writer's group). I mentioned that I'm working on the next book, and hope to have the first draft done before the 4th of July, which I may or may not make, but I'm darn sure going to try. He mentioned that he was always impressed how I was setting deadlines for myself (sometimes I say I can't come to writer's group because I'm "under deadline" - one of my own making). It surprised me that everyone doesn't do this! Of course, part of it is my own ridiculous goal-setting addiction, but the deadlines do help. I'm glad to see them on your list!

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  2. It's funny, because I tend to call my deadlines "goals" rather than "deadlines," so it occurred to me after posting this that I've been following loose deadlines for a while, I just didn't really think of them in those terms (i.e.: I will write x words a day so that I will finish this draft in y amount of time). Like you, I also enjoy meeting goals. :)


    Regardless of how you think of it, having some form of deadlines or goals can really help you become more productive. Without either, it can become much too easy to procrastinate.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Susan!

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  3. I agree with comments made, I'm also a 'goal' setter. If I don't have a plan, I procrastinate, its as simple as that really. I think its good to put yourself under pressure.

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  4. I'm trying to treat it like a job, but the problem is that it's hard to treat it as such when there's little pressure to treat it like a job. I'm still in school and don't need a profession of any sort and...using my blog to procrastinate on my novel.

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  5. A little pressure can really help productivity--and it certainly helps fight against the temptation to procrastinate. Goal setting is just one way to amp up the pressure a little and they're fantastic for creating a motivation to get working.


    Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Maria!

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  6. I can absolutely understand where you're coming from. You're right that while you're in school, you don't need a profession or a career--your focus is, of course, your studies (as it should be).


    However, the way I see it (and feel free to disagree), if your goal is to eventually make writing your career, then there's no harm in starting to treat it like one before you have to treat it like one. If your goal isn't to eventually make writing your career, then there's no need to worry about it--just enjoy it. :)

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  7. I must agree, with a heart full of mild shame that I am not always as professional as I would like. Staying focused and disciplined can be so hard, but... that's the game!

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  8. I must confess, I have not acted like a professional, and am currently trying to get into that mode (partly by getting my blog going, finally). But I will also confess that I've never understood the mindset that says first drafts are meant to be rewritten/ripped apart/altered so as to be unrecognizable. I've never written that way. It could be because I'm also an editor by trade, and that rewriting process takes place in my head before I ever put fingers to keys. Which is also why my level of productivity is so low. ;) Nevertheless - do most people REALLY look at first drafts this way, as something that rough? I'm curious and baffled.

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  9. As of late I've started to think of myself as working two full-time jobs. One of them, of course, is writing. I may not flaunt it to friends and family, but that's how I've set my mind. When it does get overwhelming, I remind myself that I'm doing something I actually really love, and that's worth a lot of sacrifice. All the points you listed are superb and absolute musts for professional writers. You are what you say you are. If you say you're an amateur, that's who you are. If you want to be a professional, then you need to start claiming you are a professional and strive for your best.

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  10. Great post and perfect timing. On my blog today I wrote a review of Jeff Goins' book "You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One) so acting like a writer has been on my mind. I used to be a full-time reporter so this should be easy for me, but now that I'm a teacher and only a part-time writer I struggle with this. I have a long list of goals but most of them haven't been met because I need to work on setting deadlines for myself. Thanks again for this post.

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  11. Just the slap in the wrist I needed, Ava. Thanks!

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  12. You're absolutely right that remaining focused and disciplined isn't as easy as it sounds (and it doesn't sound particularly easy, IMO, either). We all relapse from time to time (even I have to occasionally remind myself to get my head in the right place again), but it's a battle worth fighting and the results are worth the struggle.


    Thanks for stopping by, Dan!

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  13. I can't speak for everyone (nor would I ever try to), but while many writers I know (including myself) see the first draft as a kind of discovery for the author to later be molded into a coherent story for the reader, I know a couple writers who are more editorial-based who take longer to write their first drafts, but have to do less editing then, later on. The process is different from everyone and there's no right or wrong way to go about it. What works for you works for you. :)

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  14. I love those last couple sentences there, Margaret, and I absolutely agree with you. You are what you believe you are and as long as you're doing something that you really love, the rest of the struggle becomes worth it.


    Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

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  15. You're very welcome, Javacia! I'm glad this post served as a helpful reminder and reinforced what you've already read. I wish you the best of luck with your writing!

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  16. Happy to help, Yesenia. :) Thanks for stopping by!

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  17. What a great post! I agree whole-heartedly, treat writing as a hobby and it stays a hobby.

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  18. This is a good post. I totally agree. I think the problem in my situation at least is that I think I'd be prepared to write on a schedule but I still haven't come up with a story idea that I think I would be passionate enough to want to write about all the way through. I do have a few story ideas but they all need something to make them better so I'm constantly brainstorming for other ideas or solutions to fix my current few projects. So that is my struggle. And then there's the issue of outlining everything once I do have a good idea. See, I happen to write fantasy which is as it seems, a very competitive genre. There are a lot of unsuccessful fantasy series that don't have that cutting edge difference which I think is crucial. If you just write the usual stereotypical fantasy novel it won't be successful. So...ya that's my problem haha. Anyway, once again a great post! Keep em up! :)


    ~Author Steven

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  19. Absolutely. Thanks for stopping by, Holly! :)

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  20. Thank you, Steven! It can be difficult to settle on a story idea (I certainly understand where you're coming from). Have you started writing any of your ideas?

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  21. I love these kind of posts of yours, because they make me feel guilty. After reading them I try to improve my 'professional' attitude, but it's keeping up the good work that makes it a hard job.
    But here's another chance, I guess ^^

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  22. I think you're probably right that keeping it up is the hardest part. We all have our off days and areas that need more attention and improvement. Nobody's perfect (and thankfully, no one expects us to be). :)


    Thanks for stopping by!

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  23. in order to become a professional writer, you must act like one. completely agree with what you wrote, specially the last point where you said to keep practicing everyday for achieving your goal. thanks for sharing it!

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  24. Absolutely, Elena! Thanks for stopping by!

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