Try your hand at short stories. This has been very interesting for me. I have never limited myself on word count, but recently I have been trying my hand at some freelance articles. They limit the word count. It is harder than it sounds. To pack a mystery or a romance story into 800 words and still be able to hook the reader and provide all the story elements has proved to be quite the challenge for me.
Decide if you are more interested in writing fiction or nonfiction. "Write what you know" is a piece of advice that has been very helpful. What do you know? What experiences have you had in life? What are some unique opportunities you have had? You can incorporate what you know into fiction or nonfiction.
Everyone has something to offer. There are things you have been through that other people need to hear about. It may be to inform them or to let them know that they are not alone in the world. Many people are afraid to speak up and be transparent about their own lives for fear of judgment. They feel they may be the only ones who are dealing with a particular issue. There is a huge amount of relief for them when they realize somebody else can identify with their struggles.
Here is a bit of advice: you can't write wrong! I'm sure English teachers hate it when I say that and I know that there are certain rules that we have to follow. Ultimately, though, you are the writer. There may be reasons for some of the punctuation you use or the sentence fragments that are implemented. Even if you have an editor go through your work with a fine-tooth comb and it is returned to you all marked up in red, you get the final say. You know what you are trying to communicate.
So have fun writing! I get the privilege of being a part of a writing conference tomorrow where we will be encouraging others to use their writing gifts. I am looking forward to it!
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