Nov 4, 2022
3 Must-Have Qualities if You Want to Become a Successful Digital Writer
The question is do you want to be successful?
Success leaves clues. This is a statement that not so many writers understand thoroughly.
To become a successful writer, you must follow the footprints of those who have successfully walked the path you now walk.
One thing all successful people always have in common is a set of qualities or traits.
Qualities endure. They stand the test of time.
Here are 3 qualities you should develop if you wish to become a successful digital writer:
1. Learn from your mistakes.
To learn from your mistakes, you will need to make mistakes first.
My online writing started as a weird experiment. I wasn’t sure what I was doing, so I adopted a trial-by-error method. As a result, I made a lot of mistakes. Like, a lot.
I didn’t know anything about writing headlines or specificity. I just wanted to put my thoughts out, and I didn’t care who understood them or who didn’t.
On the flip side, my mistakes gave me the opportunity to learn a few life-changing lessons in the most practical and unforgettable ways.
I wouldn’t advise that you adopt my strategy of no strategy. However, know that you will make mistakes. It is inevitable. Regardless of how prepared you are for the journey or how careful you are on the journey, you will make mistakes.
Now that you are aware, you should prepare and position yourself to make the most out of your mistakes when they happen.
“Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn.” — C. S. Lewis
For instance, my breakthrough article on Medium was an article I wrote after I learnt a profound lesson after analyzing my previous articles.
To become a successful digital writer, you must accept the inevitability of making mistakes. Additionally, you must be prepared and ready to utilize your mistakes appropriately.
Mistakes are seeds. When planted in the right soil (a positive mindset) and under the right conditions (humble contemplation and thoughtful consideration), they are sure to yield a bountiful harvest.
Be courageous enough to make mistakes, wise enough to admit your mistakes, and disciplined enough to milk your mistakes.
2. Ask and answer important reader-centric questions before writing.
Writers are in business for readers.
It makes no sense to write and put out content that is of little or no value to your readers. You are not the hero in your story; your reader is.
That is the mindset of successful writers.
You must understand that you are in the business of answering readers' questions and solving specific problems for them with your writing.
To become a successful digital writer, make a habit of asking and answering these four questions before you start writing:
- Who am I writing for?
- What are they getting in return for their time?
- How best can I communicate my message/ideas to them?
- Why should they care about what I am about to write?
Consistently doing this will make your readers like and trust you.
When every one of your articles they read addresses a problem or answers a question they have, they will eventually become loyal readers.
Successful writers prioritize giving value to their readers above their selfish interests.
3. Flexibility
As a newbie, I struggled with stepping out of my shell. The tone of my articles was instructive more times than not. And telling personal stories was tough. It just wasn’t my style.
But I soon discovered the necessity of flexibility.
Sometimes being flexible would require you to do things you are not particularly comfortable doing.
The writing journey would require you to make lots of adjustments and changes. Not just to your writing but also to your personality.
Some writers fail to make necessary adjustments. They remain stuck in their routine and stubbornly persist in doing things the way they feel is accurate.
Becoming flexible is not the same as compromise. It is adapting so you can serve your readers better. You can be flexible and stay true to your message.
Do not stubbornly persist in doing things the same old way. Be open to making adjustments where and when necessary.
Success is not a straight-line journey. There will be twists and turns. Do not remain stuck in your ways and adamant.
It is commonly said that consistency is the secret of success in writing. That is true but incomplete.
It is not enough to be consistent. One must be consistent in doing the right things to be successful.
Which of these qualities do you really need to start working on?
I would love to read your comments. ❤
The most common challenge writers face is not being able to generate writing ideas consistently. In my eBook, I share proven strategies you can use to generate 100+ writing ideas daily. (Link)
