Can anyone offer advice on starting a writing career?

Question

I am very interested in starting a writing career. I have posted many of my poems and writings in blogs online and gotten a lot of favorable response. I have tons of ideas for articles and am unsure whether I should try to start off as a freelance writer or attempt to get hired at a publication. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you very much.

Answer 1

Greetings Nadine,

Be careful what you wish for. Jump in to writing because you want to write, not because you want a career, because you have a lot of skin to thicken.

Join an on line writer's workshop like the one listed at the link below, and get to know some writers that have jumped in ahead of you. many of these folks are published in some for or another, and some are on the verge of becoming famous. A great place to get a start, network with folks that are building their careers and mostly, a place to learn.

There are monthly contests to keep you fresh, and challenges to give you goals to aim for.

Answer 2

Here is all the advise you need - NEVER STOP WRITING, ALWAYS WRITE.

That's the first and most important thing to do.  Then you should freelance - it's quite easy to do.  Send your work into different magazines and periodicals.  As far as a regular gig, well I supposed there are different routes - also depends on what you want to do.  Starting out at a small paper is a great thing to do then as you become more proficient and experienced - you can move up the ladder (to big papers or to a magazine).  This is what I heard as being the best way to go about.

Remember - your not going to write for the NY Times or Newsweek the day you graduate from college.  However, you can right for the Topeka Gazette or Naperville News (IL) out of school.  JUST DON'T STOP WRITING - THAT HAS BEEN MY MISTAKE OVER THE YEARS.