I want to become a writer but i'm an average person with the normal writing problems....

24 replies
Hi warriors, I want to become a writer but i'm an average person with the normal writing problems (grammar, don't know how to write a articles, don't really know that much about writing etc...) Where should i start or do you know of a course for a person with my same problems you can recommend me to ?

Also to add i would like to become a freelance writer (writing articles, ebooks and such for money) in general but also would like to expand to writing stories and such for fun, i have so many ideas and i'm so creative i just don't know where to start i feel confused since i'm a total noob to writing in general...I dropped out of school at an early age ( 9th grade ) so i personally think i don't have the certain writing knowledge to become a writer in general, that's why would like your advice, where should i start?

Another thing that i was thinking about, is freelance writing still a profitable service? or is it over saturated in your opinion? it seems like foreigners have made the prices really cheap and wholesale (I'm from U.S.A)...
#average #normal #person #problems #writer #writing
  • Profile picture of the author KenThompson
    Hi,

    If you are in a position to focus on writing, then I suggest you learn about writing fiction. I mean, if you have a job and are not stressed too much about bills, living, etc.

    Do you like to read fiction? If you do, it's a plus. Do you love to tell stories? Learn how to tell stories well and in a way that captivates the imagination.

    You can use grammar and spell checkers. Yes, you can still make good money being a freelance writer, but you need to know how to write well to make decent money. There are other factors that come into play.

    If you want to write fiction, then learn about stories - what makes for good ones. There are certain elements that comprise good story structure.

    And you can sell your stuff on Amazon Kindle. Follow your passion and focus on what you really want to do.

    And never let anyone kill your dreams. Stay positive and good luck. You'll be fine.

    Ken
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Interesting suggestion, above, from Ken.

    Originally Posted by imagoodguy View Post

    is freelance writing still a profitable service? or is it over saturated in your opinion?
    At the very bottom end of the market it's so saturated that by the time you get down to about $5 per article, there are almost as many writers as customers. (At the higher price-bracket end of the market it's exactly the opposite.) This is why all the people who reply to threads here from new members asking "What can I do easily to make some money online?" by telling them to write articles for marketers aren't really helping them at all.

    In the $0.01/$0.02-per-word market, there really are nearly as many service-providers as customers (and there are reasons for that, too), so that's actually the most competitive and difficult market in which to earn anything.

    These posts/threads explain why, in some detail (and quite a bit of other stuff which may also interest and/or help you) ...

    What's The Deal With WF Writers?
    Writing Articles - I'm Done
    How much can you make writing articles?
    How do I make money writing articles???
    Would you still do freelance writing?
    Can anyone suggest good pay, high quality writing jobs?
    Content Writing - Still Viable?
    Are There Many Clients Who Pay $50/Article?
    The appropriate rate for written content is ?
    You must be a superstar professional writer BUT I can only pay you $2 per article - say WHAT?
    Any point in trying to find clients on Warrior Forum..?
    Is it hard to make 30K a year from writing?

    And if you're planning to "write for money", these resources may be useful (but maybe only after you've decided in which markets you want to compete for work, depending on both your literacy and marketing skills) ...

    Jennifer Mattern's blog
    Carol Tice's blog
    Freelance writing jobs (minmum payment requirement of $50 per article to be listed there)
    Free report on how to attract new freelance writing clients during a recession
    The Renegade Writer Blog
    The "Irreverent Freelancer" blog
    The Well-Fed Writer: Lucrative Commercial Freelance Writing - Land Lucrative Freelance Writing Jobs
    Words on the Page.

    I haven't, myself, clicked on all of these for some months, so apologies in advance for any defunct links, above (which there easily could be, by now).

    Make sure you understand the available markets clearly before trying to derive income from them: overall, it's rather a counter-intuitive market, for all the reasons explained in many of the posts/threads linked to above.

    The difference between good writers who earn a lot of money and good writers who struggle is their marketing skills and understanding of the market.

    And good luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author M Thompson
    Originally Posted by imagoodguy View Post

    Hi warriors, I want to become a writer but i'm an average person with the normal writing problems (grammar, don't know how to write a articles, don't really know that much about writing etc...) Where should i start or do you know of a course for a person with my same problems you can recommend me to ?

    Also to add i would like to become a freelance writer (writing articles, ebooks and such for money) in general but also would like to expand to writing stories and such for fun, i have so many ideas and i'm so creative i just don't know where to start i feel confused since i'm a total noob to writing in general...I dropped out of school at an early age ( 9th grade ) so i personally think i don't have the certain writing knowledge to become a writer in general, that's why would like your advice, where should i start?

    Another thing that i was thinking about, is freelance writing still a profitable service? or is it over saturated in your opinion? it seems like foreigners have made the prices really cheap and wholesale (I'm from U.S.A)...

    First thing you can learn everything you think you are lacking in..

    I would start by grabbing magazines and books and start to write out articles just so you get a feel for the grammer.

    The start to write your own articles, my wife started with very little knowledge of writing by subsmitting articles to ezine articles , they soon told her if there were issues.. now she earns over $100 per day writing 5 articles

    Practice ...
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  • Profile picture of the author marketingva
    Hi,

    My local community college has all sorts of writing classes that you can take under Adult Education. They aren't expensive either. You may want to look into taking a class!

    Bonnie
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    Magic Wand Author Services helps writers polish their manuscripts and connect to readers.
    http://www.mwauthorservices.com

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  • Originally Posted by imagoodguy View Post

    Hi warriors, I want to become a writer but i'm an average person with the normal writing problems (grammar, don't know how to write a articles, don't really know that much about writing etc...) Where should i start or do you know of a course for a person with my same problems you can recommend me to ?

    Also to add i would like to become a freelance writer (writing articles, ebooks and such for money) in general but also would like to expand to writing stories and such for fun, i have so many ideas and i'm so creative i just don't know where to start i feel confused since i'm a total noob to writing in general...I dropped out of school at an early age ( 9th grade ) so i personally think i don't have the certain writing knowledge to become a writer in general, that's why would like your advice, where should i start?

    Another thing that i was thinking about, is freelance writing still a profitable service? or is it over saturated in your opinion? it seems like foreigners have made the prices really cheap and wholesale (I'm from U.S.A)...
    I admire your willingness to learn, but I'm not going to sugarcoat it - based on the writing exemplified in your post, you have a long way to go. If you were just looking to improve your writing, I wouldn't even mention it, but I hate to see someone start down the path with false hopes.

    Now, if you're not hoping to start making money right out of the gate, then there's nothing wrong with working hard to get better at something. Start with the basics- perhaps adult ed classes on english composition. Spend A LOT of time reading. Not just stuff you find online but books, which have a higher standard of English than your typical website.

    I learned more about writing from reading books than I ever learned in school, and if you're a fairly clever person and passionate about the subject matter, you'll learn fast.

    Meanwhile, you need to be doing something else for money, as your grasp of basic mechanics needs some work first. I say if you're willing to put in the time and get your paycheck somewhere else for now, then go for it!

    Writing improvement is something anyone could benefit from, and freelancing is a pretty awesome way to make a living. Good luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author stephanreek
    in my opinion it's the easiest if you publish to amazon kindle. my English writing also isn't that good (I am dutch) but I still get a decent amount of sales. Of course with better writing you would get better reviews which probably means more money however when the info, or stories you write are good I think if wil work just fine. So to start this amazon kindle is the easiest in my opinion and you can always be working on your writing by looking for some free courses and get better over time.
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    • Profile picture of the author Hapningnow
      I started out writing for content mills to get my feet wet, build confidence and earn a little bit of extra cash. Do they pay much in the beginning - NO, but they critique and rate you so that you can improve your skills. If you are serious about moving forward, I will try to help you. Feel free to pm me.
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      • Profile picture of the author hometutor
        Originally Posted by Hapningnow View Post

        I started out writing for content mills to get my feet wet, build confidence and earn a little bit of extra cash. Do they pay much in the beginning - NO, but they critique and rate you so that you can improve your skills. If you are serious about moving forward, I will try to help you. Feel free to pm me.
        I did that for Fiverr. No bragging intended, but I got REAL good. The variety of gigs orders I received gave me a great background for going out on my own and offering a writing service.

        Rick
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  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    Start right where you are. For example, your post could use some work. I, when referring to yourself is always I, not i. Get into the habit of running everything your write through a grammar/spell checking program. That will help you to start building good habits. Good luck.
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    • Profile picture of the author hometutor
      Originally Posted by travlinguy View Post

      Start right where you are. For example, your post could use some work. I, when referring to yourself is always I, not i. Get into the habit of running everything your write through a grammar/spell checking program. That will help you to start building good habits. Good luck.
      Great idea and stop texting lol or at least use proper grammar when you text. As a substitute school teacher I've seen papers turned in that looked one long text message.

      Rick
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  • Profile picture of the author RickCopy
    Why do you want to be a writer? Do you enjoy it or do you think its an easy way to make money? I can tell you from experience that even good writers will have a tough time making money in the SEO game unless you're one of the best in a certain niche or specialty.

    Clients are a pain to deal with, (marketers seem to have this idea that any writer should be able to take the most jacked up keywords youve ever seen and somehow crap out some golden piece of content with them), you'll get constant requests for revisions...I could go on and on. I mean you can make some cash, and its nice to fall back on when you need some quick money.... but all in all there's better ways to utilize your writing.

    I think you should just start a blog and then find people to critque your articles for you until the consensus is that you're a good writer....at that point...make more blogs and monetize them.

    oh...and to whoever said to get into fiction to learn about writing... um...no. Fiction is about telling stories... the OP needs to learn how to write well first before USING that writing skill to tell a story. Honestly Id say that fiction writing is the absolute LAST thing you should be looking into if you're just getting into serious writing.
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  • Profile picture of the author hometutor
    Originally Posted by imagoodguy View Post

    Hi warriors, I want to become a writer but i'm an average person with the normal writing problems (grammar, don't know how to write a articles, don't really know that much about writing etc...) Where should i start or do you know of a course for a person with my same problems you can recommend me to ?

    Also to add i would like to become a freelance writer (writing articles, ebooks and such for money) in general but also would like to expand to writing stories and such for fun, i have so many ideas and i'm so creative i just don't know where to start i feel confused since i'm a total noob to writing in general...I dropped out of school at an early age ( 9th grade ) so i personally think i don't have the certain writing knowledge to become a writer in general, that's why would like your advice, where should i start?
    Read what you want to write about
    Note syntax
    Practice writing

    Consider hiring someone experienced with teaching as well as some who is a writer.

    Rick
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  • Profile picture of the author Lloyd Buchinski
    IMO, it's one of the little rules of life that the more you do something, the better you get at it. You will get very good at what you do most.

    A couple of good qualities to add to that are a little bit of discipline, and some conscientiousness. Just going through motions without some focus on quality is a waste of life.
    Signature

    Do something spectacular; be fulfilled. Then you can be your own hero. Prem Rawat

    The KimW WSO

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  • Profile picture of the author Larry Leggett
    The more you will write, the more you will become a writer. Of course, mistakes will take place but if you continue writing for 6 months, you will see that your mistakes gradually became lower than earlier days and the quality of writing is improved than earlier too.

    This is the only way you can become a writer.
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    My opinion? If you are that completely disabled in the field of your choosing.....it's time to go to school. If you are that lost, there isn't any freaking link on the planet that's going to help you.
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    Sal
    When the Roads and Paths end, learn to guide yourself through the wilderness
    Beyond the Path

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  • Profile picture of the author imagoodguy
    WOW It's so much advice here, thank you so much guys I really do appreciate the feedback. I'm on my phone right now i will individually reply to each of you guys as soon as I get in the house....
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  • Profile picture of the author gatorx
    My advice to you is to work on your English first, whether you are from USA or not. If you think you lack education in that then why not take English classes. Alternatively you may do some self-learning; grab any grammar book you have in your household and start reading it all over. I have found a site which is very helpful. It helps with improving writing and it has highly practical information. http://www.dailywritingtips.com/

    True the foreigners have made the price cheap, which means you have to work harder to improve yourself so you have an edge over them if you want higher pay.
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  • Profile picture of the author eClicker
    Along with the suggested above there are a number of resources on the internet. Google is you best friend when it comes to this. Just try to write everyday and you will get better. Keep a journal. study, study, and find your "voice"
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      There's nothing in your list you can't learn. Schooling and education are not the same thing.

      Approach it like an athletic event.

      > Study the basics.
      > Practice
      > Get coached (critiqued)
      > Practice
      > Get coached
      > Play a game (put your work out there)
      > "Rinse and repeat"

      Before you know it, you might be an All Star...
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  • Profile picture of the author eClicker
    @hansdavid LOL that just makes you have the munchies right
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