What do you wish you had known about writing professionally as a recent graduate?
It’s just about that time of year when students will turn their tassels and venture toward whatever comes next, with the additional challenge of COVID’s persistent shadow.
Lots of them want to be writers.
So let’s share some advice for the soon-to-be graduates, shall we?
For the journalism students, and the late-night-essayists, and the “aspiring writers” who don’t feel like they can embrace the title just yet. For the finance majors whose parents told them writing isn’t a career but they still wanna give it a shot. For any one of us, because to be a writer is to be a lifelong student.
Please share the things you wish you had known—the things they didn’t teach you in school—about making it work (or refusing to give up, even if it doesn’t feel like it’s working) as a writer. It can be about anything from finding your first job to how to keep up your confidence while pitching into the abyss. Any nuggets of wisdom you think a graduating student who wants to be a working writer would find useful.
And students! Do you have questions for people who are doing this writing thing? Ask away!
***Most threads are for paid subscribers only, but I’m opening this one up to everyone so we can get LOTS of advice in here.***
I never thought about becoming a writer in school, but my biggest piece of advice would be to find one thing that PAYS. Whether that's a content marketing niche (mine is personal finance; other good ones are tech, healthcare, etc.) or a side gig or a full-time job. You don't have to be a starving writer -- being a well-fed one is much more enjoyable.
The best advice I ever received was from my mentor who told me: "Journalism is like a Walmart parking lot — there's a spot out there for you, but you might have to park kind of far away." I've spoken to a lot of soon-to-be grads or recent grads that want to stay in one specific city. That can be really tough to do, especially when you're just starting out.
I took a job as a daily newspaper reporter in Missouri for my first post-grad job. I was from Seattle and I never imagined moving to the Midwest. It was the best thing I ever did. Your career will take you to so many physical and metaphorical places that you never thought you'd be. Embrace it. It'll help keep you in the industry.
I'm only ~4 years out from my own college graduation, but I think I have some wisdom to share! One of the big ones is: don't be afraid to start small. Your first gig does not have to be at the NYT or WaPo. My first writing job out of college was in a 10-person newsroom in upstate New York, and it was amazing — I learned so much, got to try my hand at lots of different things, and had incredible mentors/editors. It gave me the confidence and, crucially, financial security to launch into freelancing this year, which has long been my dream. So go forth into the small towns and tight-knit communities that need your skills and your brilliance!
I'd say I'm still in the "aspiring writer" to "almost making it work writer" camp, and my main takeaway over the last year is not giving up. I wouldn't still be trying right now if I wasn't very stubborn about giving up (because let's be real, as soon as I threw in the towel and got a 'normal' job, I'd just immediately go back to planning how I could quit and try again).
Hey, everyone, a grad student here. I came to grad school after 7 years out of school to hopefully transform myself into a form of a writer. I did lots of education, humanitarian, art programming before. I always felt guilty for wanting to write, or do journalism work because I didn't have role models and there wasn't money, so it was frivolous to go into such a career. Instead I chose civil service gigs such as Americorps, Peace Corps, a children hospital nonprofit. Now, I have interred at Alabama Public Radio, written for a local paper, and working on a book about my the mom I didn't know and how diabetes changed both our bodies. I still feel like I haven't turned the corner. Like, I guess I don't know what making it is? More bylines, consistent work, finding good stories locally or otherwise, finding a home/agent for the book. How do you turn that corner? I also have this fear it's too late to be trying to do this, or that I am missing opportunities, etc. I am 32 and feel like the older person trying to get into this at times. The comments so far are great. I love the Wal Mart Parking lot metaphor. Everyone can find a spot. Anyways, thanks, hope everyone is having a great week.
Hi all! I have a day job I love but there is this itch in me to become a writer. My parents told me to get a "real" career/job. So now at my current job as a market researcher, I get to tell marketable stories to our clientele to increase their brand awareness and/or sales. However, there are stories in me that I want to put out there that are not marketing-related. I am almost 30 and I want to transition into writing more and more. Here and there I started to write and get published for smaller publications which I love and am very grateful about but balancing work and my writing is tricky. I want to write 1 hour every day and have a consistent schedule but it seems impossible with all other adulting stuff. Do you have any tips/advice on this sort of balance? and finding the motivation to write for an hour every day? Also, love the thread so far thank you for your openness!
I never thought about becoming a writer in school, but my biggest piece of advice would be to find one thing that PAYS. Whether that's a content marketing niche (mine is personal finance; other good ones are tech, healthcare, etc.) or a side gig or a full-time job. You don't have to be a starving writer -- being a well-fed one is much more enjoyable.
The best advice I ever received was from my mentor who told me: "Journalism is like a Walmart parking lot — there's a spot out there for you, but you might have to park kind of far away." I've spoken to a lot of soon-to-be grads or recent grads that want to stay in one specific city. That can be really tough to do, especially when you're just starting out.
I took a job as a daily newspaper reporter in Missouri for my first post-grad job. I was from Seattle and I never imagined moving to the Midwest. It was the best thing I ever did. Your career will take you to so many physical and metaphorical places that you never thought you'd be. Embrace it. It'll help keep you in the industry.
I'm only ~4 years out from my own college graduation, but I think I have some wisdom to share! One of the big ones is: don't be afraid to start small. Your first gig does not have to be at the NYT or WaPo. My first writing job out of college was in a 10-person newsroom in upstate New York, and it was amazing — I learned so much, got to try my hand at lots of different things, and had incredible mentors/editors. It gave me the confidence and, crucially, financial security to launch into freelancing this year, which has long been my dream. So go forth into the small towns and tight-knit communities that need your skills and your brilliance!
I'd say I'm still in the "aspiring writer" to "almost making it work writer" camp, and my main takeaway over the last year is not giving up. I wouldn't still be trying right now if I wasn't very stubborn about giving up (because let's be real, as soon as I threw in the towel and got a 'normal' job, I'd just immediately go back to planning how I could quit and try again).
Hey, everyone, a grad student here. I came to grad school after 7 years out of school to hopefully transform myself into a form of a writer. I did lots of education, humanitarian, art programming before. I always felt guilty for wanting to write, or do journalism work because I didn't have role models and there wasn't money, so it was frivolous to go into such a career. Instead I chose civil service gigs such as Americorps, Peace Corps, a children hospital nonprofit. Now, I have interred at Alabama Public Radio, written for a local paper, and working on a book about my the mom I didn't know and how diabetes changed both our bodies. I still feel like I haven't turned the corner. Like, I guess I don't know what making it is? More bylines, consistent work, finding good stories locally or otherwise, finding a home/agent for the book. How do you turn that corner? I also have this fear it's too late to be trying to do this, or that I am missing opportunities, etc. I am 32 and feel like the older person trying to get into this at times. The comments so far are great. I love the Wal Mart Parking lot metaphor. Everyone can find a spot. Anyways, thanks, hope everyone is having a great week.
Hi all! I have a day job I love but there is this itch in me to become a writer. My parents told me to get a "real" career/job. So now at my current job as a market researcher, I get to tell marketable stories to our clientele to increase their brand awareness and/or sales. However, there are stories in me that I want to put out there that are not marketing-related. I am almost 30 and I want to transition into writing more and more. Here and there I started to write and get published for smaller publications which I love and am very grateful about but balancing work and my writing is tricky. I want to write 1 hour every day and have a consistent schedule but it seems impossible with all other adulting stuff. Do you have any tips/advice on this sort of balance? and finding the motivation to write for an hour every day? Also, love the thread so far thank you for your openness!