From the article: Characteristics and Skills Freelance Writers Need to Succeed
I've outlined what skills I think a freelance writer needs. Now it's your turn. What skills are most important for a freelance writer? Tell Us Your Opinion
Writing skills
- At the very least, a good command of the English language, verbal and written. Verbal because it is driven by thought and written is the visual presentation of your thoughts. Then, of course, to be able to string words together to make a prose that is pleasing to read. Lastly, the thirst to research to be able to have a wealth of subjects to write about. I've read so many blogs that do not make sense either because of sentence composition, horrible grammar or both.
- —Guest Joseph Dabon
Just Do It
- if you wait until you get everything, you will never take. Do it the Nike way - Just do it.
- —Guest Joseph Dabon
Characteristics and Skills
- Discipline is certainly important but so is a willingness to strive for excellence. Avoidable errors (spelling,grammer and punctuation) should Never be tolerated. If you claim to be a writer, then please, act like one! Be professional, have integrity and stay honest. If your content is fact based, double and triple check the facts! If your content is more creative, then strive to be genuinely creative and capture the attention of your reader base, using various techniques! Create some mystery and tension in the reader and challange their own instincts,values,principles and knowledge.
- —LastLance
Well...
- I truly thought a way with words is all I'll need to begin a career in writing. Now I know I'll need about 25 new skills to make it happen.
- —Guest Gbemi
Freelance writing
- Freelance writing requires a high degree of focus, concentration, fast response and perserverence. Freelance writing is a lonely job. You talk to the computer and the computer talks back to you. You don't have people around you like in an office. But it is creative and very satisfying. It may not pay much, but it is unique. There aren't many jobs where a person has to create something on paper. Freelancing results in a wide audience reading the copy. Writers receive good recognition if they produce something on paper or on the computer which readers finf original as well as interesting. Writers take part in prose and poetry contests and win awards and prizes. Who doesn't want to get an award or a prize? Most workers have a ritual existence. There is nothing new happening. Freelance writers face something new every day. They write because they want to write. You don't have to be a writer. You choose your life course. Writers choose freelance writing because of the freedom and the challe
- —Guest P.S.E. Writing Services
keep playing with the language
- For sale: baby shoes, never worn. could Hemingway have written that had he not sat for hours and played with words for the sheer fun of the experience?
- —Guest april
Good advice if they'll follow it
- Your advice is solid and useful. But reading your respondents' comments was especially interesting since those that claimed to be such good writers had spelling and grammatical errors in their responses. What is "masterly?"
- —Guest Alice A.
well
- well, how can a writer who has had no writing experienc write a query letter to and editor saying that s/he has had no experience beforehand and expect that the editor will want to publish your work. Would it be better to send a fininished copy of the article. I know it can be akward but how else are you going to prove to the editor that your writing in worth reading or even publishing.
- —Guest mehak
you can't always do it all
- It's true you have to wear many hats as a freelance writer. You can take some general accounting, business or sales courses at a community college to pick up those skills that you lack, but don't think you have to be an expert at everything. Sometimes you need to hire other people who are better at doing something you don't know, like a self-employed accountant or web designer. Then you could establish a relationship and offer to send each other referrals.
- —Guest margiewrites
Skills of a Freelance Writer.
- I have always liked to be a writer though I have never written anything to be published. I have no training though I always though and belief I can write readable material. My strength is knowledge in english, what I know through experience, and the way to put it in a way anyone can understand. Having cnfidence in what one plans to write is also a crutial aspect of writing. Self motivation is another tool one must consinder. Also knowing the way to present ones views and knowledge is an important tool. One has also to have a way of convincing his/her audience.
- —Guest John Kamau Gichuru
Can any one be a freelance writer?
- It is my feeling that above all one has to understand what he/she would like to write about. The language use must be done with a lot of masterly.
- —Guest John Kamau Gichuru
Know of what you write
- Linguistic skills, motivation, tenacity and business acumen are all valuable, but more than any other factor is knowledge of what you choose to write about. The best technical writers I've known were also technicians. If you choose to write fiction, experience life first in as many ways as possible. Doubt that? Ask yourself: Could Kerouac have written On The Road as he did if he hadn't lived it first?
- —jl7tree
hmmm
- nice to know about what you said . I got this funky idea of doing something that dosent really need THIS much ... :p
- —Guest Prasana
Discipline is #1!!
- I always, always say that discipline is the most important piece to this career!
- —Guest Cammie
