5 Habits That Will Kill Your Career As A Writer

Writing is an expression of unspoken words, unfettered emotions and stimulating experiences. Constantly scribbling and penning down thoughts can be a powerful tool if optimized. Some writers may not be interested in authoring books or living on their writings but one thing no writer can do without is readership.

Every writer wants someone to read, appreciate and digest their content. Knowing that one person got inspired after reading their piece is all the satisfaction writers need. Simply put, the writer writes for the reader and the reader reads for the writer.

Having established that the readability of a piece is key, the writer must ensure that the readers do not lose a taste for his/her work. Certain habits found in modern writers kill the flavour of their works. Here are some of them:

1. Plaigairism

Depending on the intent, the internet could be a boon or bane for the writer. There’s nothing wrong with acquiring knowledge and gathering information about your piece. However, copying or stealing somebody’s piece to pose as yours, kills your creativity and passion to create masterpieces.

2. Not Reading

It is impossible to be a developing writer without being a voracious reader. The more you read, the better you become, and the more ideas you have, the easier it becomes. Reading is also an excellent way to beat writer’s block. So don’t wait until you have exhausted your ideas. Cultivate the habit of reading every written thing you come across.

3. Editing While Writing

Yes. This is one trap many writers fall into. Creativity is like loosening a tangled thread. Lose one knot at a time — soon enough, you have a loosened thread. Keep trying to loosen all knots simultaneously, and you have a more tangled thread. Write first, edit later.

4. Not Editing Properly

Completing a story or an essay is truly an exciting achievement, especially when you have many drafts that you have yet to finish. But true excitement should come after you have properly edited your work. It is better to be an unpublished writer than to be a poorly published writer. Enlisting the service of a professional editor is your best bet. But if you are on a budget, get a keen friend or relative to look at what you have written.

5. Inconsistency

A good writer writes all the time. Writer’s block is certainly not a novel idea to any creative however, there are proven ways to beat it. So write when you feel on top of your game and when you don’t. Just keep writing.

The craft of writing will never be inconsequential. Existence and culture are possible because certain people thought it wise to document things in various forms. The saturation of the literary world should not be a problem for any writer who has decided to be unique and original. The word has heard a thousand stories but we haven’t heard yours. So keep writing!

In your experience as a writer, what other habits could terminate a budding writing career?