Are you an Unlikely Writer?
You just may be an Unlikely Writer and not know it…
Professional writers who are honest with themselves admit that there are many among them whose work sometimes pales in comparison to that of novices. That is, the work of the Unlikely Writer whose ability to craft compelling prose comes from within and has no basis in formal training, education or experience.
As a professional freelance writer for of 10+ years, I take pride in clients whose skill level rivals mine. Reading, editing and proofreading their work is immensely rewarding – ’cause what I do is fine tune and streamline their speech. But the grand ideas are theirs. And I love being exposed to their unique viewpoints.
Are you one of them? A closeted wordsmith with unsung skills? Let’s find out!
Answer “YES” or “NO” to the following questions:
1.) ADVICE MAGNET: While you sometimes question your own ability to write well, do others seek out your opinion and ask you for writing advice?
2.) AT YOUR LEISURE: Do you gravitate toward activities that include reading and writing blogs, highly personalized e-mails, letters, Thank You cards, etc.?
3.) CONTENT MATTERS: When picking out greeting cards, do you spend a lot of time focusing on content or even waffle between options looking for ones which truly resonate with you?
4.) FOCUS ON CLARITY: Along the same lines as #3, when sending greeting cards are you compelled to add text that makes your feelings or wishes that much clearer to the receiver?
5.) OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: Do you jump at the chance to write anything you can on behalf of your boss, friends, family or community group – eager to flex your writing muscles any way you can?
SCORING: Give yourself a writerly pat on the back for every YES answer.
Developing writing skills with technical training can increase your confidence. It’s also a big part of learning to prepare your work for publication. But, every YES answer above puts you one step closer to being ahead of the competition. And you deserve to celebrate the writing tendencies you’ve cultivated on your own.
As needed, seek out the help of professionals who recognize your skills and want to keep your “voice” in tact while polishing up what it is you pass along for their review. But know that there’s an audience for every writer. And there’s a set of unique perspectives which everyone brings to the table. In short?
Reward the Unlikely Writer in you with the praise you obviously deserve!
WRE (WriteReviseEdit.com)
WriteReviseEdit 