Common writing setbacks include rejections, a lack of available work assignments, bad reviews and writers’ block. None of these situations are easy for any writer to deal with, regardless of his or her years of experience. The setback itself is not that important; what matters the most is how you react to it, how you use it as a learning experience and how well you adapt your strategy to meet new challenges. Effective ways to overcome writing setbacks include shopping your work around, focusing on building your professional portfolio and drawing inspiration from the world around you.
Putting rejections into perspective
Every writer in history has had his or her work rejected, including those who’ve later became famous and wealthy. Some have racked up thousands of rejections before finding success as writers. One of the best ways to regain your confidence and feel better about a rejection is to read a few articles about famous writers who were rejected repeatedly. Not only will this method put your rejection into its proper perspective; it may lead you to additional helpful information about the writing and publishing industries.
Creating work instead of waiting for it
If you earn a living as a copywriter, technical writer, website writer or any combination thereof, the job assignments ebb and flow. This characteristic has always been a fact of these writing professions. The World Wide Web has given us new and comprehensive tools to attract more clients; the key is learning how to use them.
Professional writing portfolios have largely become digital in the form of blogs or websites. Purchasing your own domain is a highly recommended option because it affords you the freedom to monetize your portfolio site with contextual advertising, affiliate links or both. With this method, you can present samples of your best work while also growing a revenue stream from it over time. Publishing a combination of static pages and blog posts allows you to showcase your work with longer articles published as pages and with shorter blog posts on topics of interest to you. Don’t feel locked into one niche topic either; publishing a variety of subjects or stories in your portfolio will help you diversify your clientele and show them your exceptional research/creative skills.
Getting past writers’ block
One of the most effective ways to get over writers’ block is to take a break and read some works of other authors who inspire you. Take a trip to your local library for some new reading material, and bring along your laptop, tablet or notebook for writing down any thoughts or ideas that come to you. Brainstorm some topics from these new ideas and make yourself a schedule for writing a new article or blog post on a regular schedule.
Dealing with poor ratings and reviews
Just like rejections, every writer gets a bad review on occasion. If someone has taken the time to write out why he or she dislikes your work, consider that you’ve stirred up a reaction in this person. Whether reviewers like or strongly dislike your work, this emotional reaction is preferable to indifference.
Rejections and bad reviews are not personal attacks or accurate assessments of your skills as a writer. Writers’ block can be a frustrating situation, but you can get past it by finding new sources of inspiration. Instead of complaining about a lack of available writing jobs, take some time to polish and add to your online portfolio before reaching out to potential new clients with it. These setbacks are normal parts of a writer’s life, but they can often turn into positive learning experiences.