Writers Responsibilities from a Listophile by Margaret A. Nystrom

Welcome back educator, writer, and artist Margaret Aslanis-Nystrom as she shares with us tips on writers responsibilities. Enjoy!

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When I first started writing professionally many years ago, I had no idea where to start, or more importantly, what my responsibilities as a writer were. The one thing I knew was, I loved making lists, so I created a word that describes my love for them. Listophile. As a listophile, I happily made lists of ideas, words, goals, etc. I finally decided I needed to make one about what a writer needs to do to be successful. Over the years the list grew and changed to meet what I thought were my writer responsibilities, as well as, what I learned as a writer. There are three main parts. They address your personal obligations, your writing product, and  your audience. Some of these will intertwine or merge together. These ideas are what made the final cut. Let me know what you think. What’s on your list?

A Writer’s Personal Responsibilities:

• Stop obsessing and have fun with your writing!
• Write and fail, it is how we learn
• Fail again, and again, until you find something successful that works for you
• Know when to quit and when to carry on
• When you feel stuck, learn how to deal with it
• Dig in deep inside when fear and doubt looms
• Take a break when needed, but don’t quit, persevere
• Ignore inner and outer critics when what you do feels right
• Ignore negative thinking, especially if you are not going to put it to good use
• Dream and imagine
• Observe the world around you
• Ask for help and support when you need it
• Create in other forms besides writing, it will crossover back to your writing
• Imitate the characteristics of good writers, then develop your own style
• Write with courage and take risks…or what’s the point?
• Enjoy the process, do not ignore it or abhor it
• Find a writer’s support group
• Find other writers you enjoy and read their work
• Read, read, read, and not just in your genre
• Write daily even for five minutes
• Care for your body too: take breaks, stay hydrated, eat well, take a walk or exercise, don’t ignore the rest of your life

The Responsibilities to Your Writing:

• Polish your skills and keep them fresh
• Complete the writing process…revise, revise, revise!
• Practice your craft daily
• Develop the required discipline
• Find a place and time that suits your situation or learning style for writing
• Attend classes, workshops, conferences, and other writing events
• Send queries and practice writing them too
• Apply to contests and writing competitions
• Write a relevant, but short, bio, with a current picture
• Be able to learn as you go…or learn as you write or publish

The Responsibilities to Your Audience:

• Get your work out there, publish! Writing does not belong to a dusty old drawer.
• Notice when you are making excuses, instead of publishing or writing
• Plan, set goals, and deadlines…then meet them
• Have a business plan and a writing plan
• Interview other writers and any relevant person for your writing
• Observe what works and what doesn’t and learn from it
• Try different genres or stretching your writer muscles
• Network and connect with other writers
• Create a successful writing team of editors, agents, cover artists, and publishers
• Learn how to create and maintain a reader base
• Understand your genre
• Get your work out there for your readers
• Be aware of who your audience is
• Engage your audience through your work, your questions, surveys, etc.
• Edit well, so your audience has an enjoyable experience
• Research well, your audience wants an authentic experience
• Understand and use SEO’s, social media, and other marketing practices to market your work, and engage with your audience
• Respond to reader comments, emails, etc., with thoughtfulness, timeliness, and respect

Here are some articles that you may also find supportive:

• ·The not-so-lonely life of a writer: Creating a Community of Support (zeesouthcombe.com)
• ·What Blogging On WordPress.com Has Taught Me (womenwhothinktoomuch.wordpress.com)
• ·The Most Important Part of Writing (stevensalvatoreshaw.wordpress.com)

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Margaret A. Nystrom, M.A.T., Q.M.H.P.

Feeling stuck or need help with procrastination or writer’s block? Margaret’s award-winning blog, http://afterwriterdreams.com/, is a motivational content blog for writers. She is an author, educator, artist, guest radio speaker, and monthly guest blogger/columnist in N.C. She has taught children and adults for 40 years and created over 25 blogs. She also writes articles and  psychological thrillers. Read her new ebook:The Writer’s Control Guide for Procrastination and Writer’s Block: 101 Management Strategies.