There are many myths about writing floating around the web nowadays, and with these myths come unrealistic expectations. Below are some of the most common myths and why they absolutely need debunking!
Good Grammar is Unnecessary
Believe it or not, some people think that writing a blog or an article can be done with short handwriting, text writing or just rubbish grammar. “People will know what you mean”… No, they probably won’t, and if they don’t they won’t want to spend half an hour trying to figure out what it is you are trying to say. Text writing is an ultimate ‘no’, unless it is relevant to your piece, bcuz writin lyk dis is so hard 2 read. I’m not saying you need to swallow a dictionary to be able to write, but make sure you are using the correct spellings and meanings, even if it means you have to simplify a word.
You NEED a Social Media Account
To get your blog or article noticed, you need to share it on social media… While this is true, it isn’t the ONLY way to share your piece. Some people prefer not to have any social media accounts at all. If this is you, that is fine.
Know your audience and share your writings on those particular sites that will help you to reach them. Send newsletters via email, buy advert space on certain sites… And if you become really stuck, ask a friend to share on their social media! You don’t need a social media account to create and share great writing… You just need to be a great writer.
You Don't Have Enough Time to Write
Really?! Everyone has enough time to write, in fact, a lot of people use writing as their downtime to help them relax. You don’t need a set amount of time each day or night- especially if you are only writing as a hobby, you can write whenever you have the free time, whether that be once a day or once a week. Stressing about time limits will also limit the quality of your work, so just sit back and enjoy it.
Writing Isn't a Real Job
As a writer myself, this one annoys me. Have you ever been told “writing is just a hobby” and “it can’t be a real job”? Of course it is, if you are using your valuable time and energy creating amazing pieces and making money, supporters or freebies to test from it…It IS a real job.
Some people just don’t really understand the amount of effort that goes into creating amazing pieces that people want to read, so just remember- if you are told it isn’t a real job, they obviously have never written themselves.
Never Use 'Said'
This is a tricky one. Some people like to use words thesaurus.com would be proud of, while others like to keep it simple. I don’t think there is any right or wrong, it is all about personal preference. With that being said… ‘Said’ is a word not a lot of people like to use. Personally, I like to see some expression in writing rather than the usual ‘said’, however, like any other word- as long as it isn’t repeated too many times it is fine to use. Just tell them I said so!
As you can see, sometimes writing, whether it be blogs, articles, newsletters or books, can be hard work- especially when you have so much competition and negativity regarding your chosen job. But by debunking the above myths I hope your writing career can really take off!
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