I am a writer,

and here is how my perception towards writing has been transformed over the years. Considering my professional and artistic experiences.

I have been writing since 9th grade now and it’s been more than 2 years since I have been monetising my art. I started getting work published even before that. Working with variety of publication houses, clients and companies has taught me a lot and going through the process of living my dream hasn’t been much of a fairytale. In 11th grade, I did everything I could to pursue this career and I haven’t stopped since then.

I made sure that I grab every opportunity possible and this taught me a lot but I also can’t deny that I never learnt to say “no” because of this. Though it is so important to set boundaries with work. Yes, even when your passion is your work.

Throughout this time period, I have been called a bitch, a foolish person and unprofessional as well but only by the people who were acting the same towards me. These are either the people who didn’t have the budget to hire me or the ones who got in my comfortable zone first.

Writing for Self vs. Others

However, let me elaborate on how different it is to write for yourself and for other people. And how long it actually takes to get to the point where you can do your own thing and be paid for it.

One significant revelation during my journey was the stark difference between writing for oneself and catering to the needs of others. When the urge to write strikes personally, a pen and paper suffice to capture the flow of thoughts. However, the transition to professional projects demands a meticulous approach, involving multiple tabs for note-taking, extensive research, SEO optimization, plagiarism checks, grammar assessments, and even AI content analysis.

Along with this, companies, agencies and whoever is on the client’s end today have extremely high expectations from writers and they will expect you to write from scratch without any guidance. Meaning you will be attending more than one responsibility. They will expect you to write thousands of words everyday like just because we are artists, we are creative all the time. And all of this at a very low wage which only makes the work a lot more dreadful.

The evolution from spontaneous personal expression to structured, client-oriented writing is a journey that requires time and adaptation. And it is definitely overwhelming because you get in the field thinking that you will get to follow your passion but that’s not the case, at least for majority of the population.

Also, in order to get attention for what you actually want to write is a gradual process. Because even to get your target audience in this digital world, you have to rely on certain SEO practices or you will go unnoticed, no matter how much unique you are as everyone is unique already! It is the intention of everyone’s existence.

Bursting The Bubble For You

I have already done that and by no means this is to demotivate anyone of you but to give you a reality check. And of course, you will figure things out on your own but it is better to take precautions and know what you are getting yourself into.

Working on what you’re crazy passionate about is like turning your job into a fun adventure. Even when you hit roadblocks, it’s not a downer — it’s more like a puzzle waiting to be solved. Yeah, people might throw criticism or tight budgets your way, but the joy you get from doing what you love turns these challenges into something exciting, not something to dread.

As time goes on, actually doing the work instead of just dreaming about it opens up your eyes. You start seeing things from different angles, and you get the ability to decide if you want to keep going or try something new. It’s not just about reaching some big goal; it’s about growing and learning. You go from being someone who dreams about cool stuff to someone who can handle the ups and downs of the real deal. The journey isn’t just about where you end up; it’s about becoming someone who knows the ropes and can choose the path that fits them best.

If you have got your mind made up then I wish you all the best and if you are still confused on how to get started, I am sure that this article will help (in terms of freelancing). Feel free to write to me and I will be very happy to walk with you as you go through the process: Quick guidance from your freelancer friend — Muskan Purohit.