Of Writers And Conundrums

Growing up, I had a flair for reading. I would ransack my Dad’s library of books and read any book — or at times — any subject that tickled my fancy. This made me know more than most of my peers because I was reading way beyond my level.

From being an avid reader, I transitioned into writing. At first, my sole reason for writing was to test my mastery of the English and Yoruba (my mother tongue) languages, having been exposed to both earlier on. But because change is constant, so was my writing.

First, my early introduction to composition writing in primary school made me realise how well my writing had improved. I wouldn’t have known this if my teachers were not always drumming it in my ears reassuringly; if I was not always topping writing tests in my classroom; and if my writings were not always used as examples in my class.

Little did I know I would end up writing for my colleagues, for a fee. Of course, I was not doing that for the money. It was rather more ego-stroking being consulted by one’s colleagues to write for them, based on demand.

At the University, I studied Linguistics — a course that further bolstered my knowledge of languages, which in effect improved my mastery of both the spoken and written forms of the English language.

Before I graduated from the University, I had begun handling a lot of freelance gigs viz: writing, editing, proofreading, and language analysis. I was making a decent living off these skills that I did not even bother pursuing any other career than focusing on one of them.

Choosing one of these skills as my main skill was a bit confusing as my mastery of each of them is above-par. After several months of indecision, I settled for my first love — Writing. This didn’t mean I stopped handling other gigs that are not writing-related. I only focused more on writing which, when I became neck-deep in it, I realised that there is more to it than meets the eyes.

Currently, with over 5 years of professional writing experience, I have written several topics across different spectrums and disciplines. From what I have learnt so far, choosing a niche and growing deep in it is what is required to become a go-to person in the writing space.

There are many writers in the world and there are many niches as well. A single writer, even though s/he is knowledgeable in other fields, must first become a towering voice in a particular field. This is the only way such a writer can become sought-after and consequently make money.

Early in my professional working career, I was faced with a lot of indecisions. First, I needed to make money to sort my bills. This meant that I had to jump on every writing gig that came my way, in so far, I was making money.

But after some years of practising this strategy, I realised that I was always waiting for the next paying job. I had no steady writing job because I hadn’t picked any niche and tried to grow into it.

Not picking a niche didn’t in any way change the fact that I am a good writer. No, it didn’t. But, it affected the flow of jobs I was getting.

Going forward, as a young writer or an aspiring one, you may be in this stage currently. Don’t fret. Help has come your way. What you need to do, apart from being an excellent writer who’s ready to take the world by a storm, is to:

• choose a niche
• learn from the top writers in your space
• research and learn quickly
• reach out to experienced writers for growth tips and/or mentorship
• find other writers on your level and create a grow-together hub
• Keep writing without ceasing.

While the above-listed points are not exhaustive, they are sure fire ways to become a better writer faster than you think. You only need to put in the effort and watch your writing career pick up.