Build a Long-term Writing System as a New Writer
6 practical tips to cultivate a consistent writing process.
The reason why I started to write was quite intuitive.
I’ve been a reader for a couple of years and those Medium articles were my company that helped me get through a very difficult time of my life. At that time, I felt the power of words and how much change words can bring me.
But…
I’m not a pro.
I haven't written anything before.
I’ll quit quickly after I run out of ideas.
I’m not even a native speaker.
As much as I doubted myself, the impulse to write down what was in my head has never changed. Stumbled as I was, I started my very first article in April this year.
I like writing.
I want to write consistently.
I enjoy being in the community.
I want my writing can inspire more readers.
Since then I’ve learned that if I don’t want to be a quitter, I need a system for consistent input of my energy and time.
Getting started is one thing, keep writing is another thing. There is nothing fancy or grand here, just practical tips from my actual practice.
1. Write what you’re passionate about
Writing should be enjoyable.
It shouldn’t feel like a job, especially for part-time writers.
For me, I can only be able to create excellent content when I’m passionate about it.
I write about mindset and personal growth because I have experience with it, I’m living with intention, and I have a growth mentality. Therefore as long as I’m growing spiritually, I always have something to write about.
Find an area or topic that can inspire you to write, this doesn't only allow you to form a habit, but will also naturally make your content more authentic and engaging for readers.
2. Keep records of ideas
Ideas are like sparks.
It might flash in your head when you’re eating, dosing off, running, working, taking a shower, listening to music, before bedtime… basically anytime.
But those sparks will also go off in the very next minute.
So writing down or recording the ideas in any way that suits you is essential for further curation.
I choose to write them down as drafts on Medium so I can keep tracking them when I have more to add on. Feel free to use any noting materials (Notion, Apple Note, or just a notebook…) as long as it helps you to revisit and organize when you want to further expand them.
3. Keep experimenting with topics and storytelling
Now you have a range of topics you want to explore.
Don’t rush into writing certain topics…yet.
Explore first.
Keep trying things out.
Different topics, different writing, different approaches.
Think about these essential questions before every piece you write:
- Do you feel inspired to write?
- Who do you write for?
- What problems are you trying to solve?
- Do your readers need your input and they can’t acquire it elsewhere?
- Do you have personal experience on the topic?
- Does the content have a clear structure and is easy to read?
- Does the storytelling provoke interest or too dry to read?
Those are the basic questions that can help you focus and create useful content no matter if it provides practical advice or emotional value.
When you’ve had some experience with writing after several articles, you can still use these questions to see if your content can serve your readers well or if you need any adjustments for writing.
4. Set a regular publishing time
It’s like a deadline.
But less terrifying.
A deadline will help you prioritize what to focus on.
A deadline will motivate you to finish.
A deadline will help create a habit.
How often should I post?
There’s no certain answer.
When I first started writing, I gave myself a quite loose interval of 1 article every 2 weeks.
I allowed myself to explore my own cadence for a while and then I decided to write 1 article every week because I felt more inspired when writing than I thought I’d be.
The key thing is to find a cadence that suits you the best, then write and post regularly.
Ideation — Structure — Content— Check again — Hit publish
Then all over again.
After a couple of articles, you’ll find it more natural to write regularly while maintaining your own pace.
But don’t limit yourself if you have multiple topics or stories to share at one time, it’ll be a good chance to post in parallel to test some variants such as topic, timing, and way of writing so to see if you’d want to make adjustments.
Don’t forget to write and post regularly.
5. Don’t force it, don’t rush it
I know I mentioned the deadline.
Deadline sounds rigid.
Deadline is for tasks.
Should I make writing a task?
Yes and no.
If you want to write consistently, creating a system, like what you would do for any long-term habit is important.
Treating writing seriously allows you to develop more depth to it. Not only for writing itself but also for what it can do for you.
Then again, you don’t want to drain yourself or push it too far to feel stressed.
Finding time and space for writing is important. But if you still feel uninspired and tired, it’s okay to rest and recover. If you feel like skipping an article or two, do it.
It’s like working out, you are dedicated but if feeling under the weather, taking time to recharge is as essential as working out itself.
Prepare for the long run.
6. Be agile for the long run
Writing is like running a marathon.
You’re serious about it.
You’re aiming long.
You want to avoid running too fast and then quickly lose momentum.
That’s why you should adopt an agile mindset for writing.
If you set a goal of reaching a certain number of followers, making more money as a side hustle, or just improving your writing skills. That’s good to have, but putting in solid and continuous work is as important.
Perceive writing as a combination of sprints, in each sprint, you’ll allow yourself to: Take a steady stride to write, practice storytelling, research topics, and manage to find your own sparks that shine.
What you keep working on might not be effective immediately and it usually doesn’t. But gradually you’ll find the charm of it, your voice will be louder, you start to have audiences, and most importantly, you will find peace in not only writing but also the process of it.
Final thoughts
The idea of starting to write might be intuitive and it allows you to have an impulse to get started, but after I put dedication and time into it, I realized that writing consistently requires a system.
A system consists of practice and a growth mentality.
Alongside the journey, there’s a lot more than writing itself. To me, writing is another way of speaking, I find peace through writing, I find inspiration and I get inspired at the same time.
Writing is a way of witnessing growth.
Growth takes time.
Aim for the long run.
Start now.
Have faith and be gentle with yourself.
Start now and start small :D
Follow me on an inspirational mindfulness journey!
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