During the past two years, I self-published a book of more than 400 pages and more than 300 blog posts.
Yet, I still struggle to call myself a writer.
Why?
Probably because I feel as if being a writer is something dedicated to older, wiser people. Sometimes, I think being a writer sounds as if one has much life experience, and as I am only 22 years old, I hesitate to name myself one.
But the reality is that I am making more than $5,000 per month through my writing.
Simply writing. No ads, no customer service, no coaching, no dealing with freelance gigs.
Just writing pieces on how to live happier, healthier, more satisfying lives, and inspiring people across the globe to become better versions of themselves.
Every day, thousands of people are seeing and reading my work. I guess that’s not bad for someone who hesitates to call herself a writer.
Now, admittedly, I didn’t read many books on how to write.
I am currently reading some, for example, The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White and On Writing Well: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser.
Yet, until now, all I learned about writing well was through writing a lot, reading blog posts on how to write better, and scrolling through great writers’ posts.
Admittedly, this might not be the most effective approach. But it worked for me.
Here are some of the quotes that most inspired me on my journey to becoming a well-paid writer, even if I struggle to call myself one.
“Books are made out of books.”
— Cormac McCarthy
…and blog posts are made out of books and other blog posts.
I came across this quote in a book about how to stay creative and keep going despite difficult times, Keep Going by Austin Kleon. (A fantastic book, by the way.)
When I first started writing, I thought everything I write needed to be exceptional, exclusive, and never been written before.
Little did I know!
After my first three articles, I already felt stuck and didn’t have any more ideas.
Well, here’s the harsh truth: Unless you do research on a specific topic and come up with insights that nobody else knew before — you will write something that already exists.
People will hardly read your work because it’s the only piece written on a topic.
And that’s totally fine.
It’s actually fantastic because it makes our lives as writers easier.
Here’s what really matters: every article you write contains your story, your emotions, and your view of the world.
Nobody can write an article in the way you can.
Each of us has an entirely different background, different emotions, and a different way to communicate with the reader.
How to apply this lesson:
Accept the fact that books are made out of books, and great blog posts are made out of great blog posts.
You don’t have to re-invent anything to be a great (or well-paid) writer.
You don’t have to come up with ideas and lessons nobody ever talked about.
Instead, you can curate the work of great minds and add your own sprinkle, your personal stories, and your point of view.
Just make sure to credit the great minds that inspired you and your writing.