After Uni

How To Prepare Yourself For A Writing Career While in College

Many aspiring writers leave college or university with the hope of immediately pursing a career in the field. While this can certainly be made possible, becoming a writer isn’t the same as the other professions you can enter into with a degree or diploma. Writing is competitive and sometimes demanding. What really sets you apart from any of the other writers? If you are thinking about pursuing a career in the field, it is useful to start while you’re studying. Here are some important points for students to consider.

Do Your Research on Being A Writer

It is imperative to do research on the industry to understand what exactly a career in writing entails. While it isn’t necessary to choose a specific subject, as many writers are diverse, it is best to have a general idea on the kind of writing you would primarily like to do. Do you want to be a freelance writer or work for a publishing company? Perhaps you aspire to be a novelist, poet or playwright. There are other niches such as academic writing, creative writing, content writing, content marketing, proofreading, editing, copywriting and blogging. Knowing the field you are most interested in breaking into is a great place to start.


Start Building Your Portfolio ASAP

Maybe you want to write a collection of short stories or poems for submission or perhaps you would like to become a full-time blogger. Regardless, it is important to start building a portfolio as soon as possible. Start writing your stories or poems now. If you are thinking of writing a blog, you should do it. There are many online writing platforms that seek guest contributors, just typing into the google search bar your topic of interest and ‘write for us’ can show plenty of options. Finding an internship could also be an invaluable way to gain experience and is an excellent predecessor to further employment.


Get Involved in Writing Opportunities

Additionally, there are other writing opportunities that you can get involved in while you are studying. Your university or college might be able to direct you to any potential openings to write for magazines or on competitions you could apply for. If there is a creative writing department in your place of study there will no doubt be information or Facebook groups you might be able to join that announce new openings. There may also be opportunities within your place of study that are organized by your college or university. Getting involved in these kinds of opportunities are an excellent way to see how the publishing process works through having your own first publications.

See Also

Read & Write Daily

This is one of the most important ways to improve your writing craft, especially if your studies are not directly related to literature or creative writing. It is essential to write as much as possible to hone your abilities and improve your work. You should begin writing daily if you don’t already. Blogging, writing short stories or poem, or even keeping a diary are great ways to make sure you’re constantly writing! Likewise, reading is equally important and there are many books on creative writing such as Robert Graham’s The Road To Somewhere: A Creative Writing Companion and Steve May’s Doing Creative Writing that I personally found valuable while I studied creative writing.

We hope you find this article useful in kick starting your writing career! While it may initially be difficult, having a career in writing is such a rewarding profession. Please let us know in the comments if you found these tips helpful!
Feature Image Source: Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash
Share
Soraya Atherton

Soraya Atherton is a content writer from the United Kingdom. She is a travel enthusiast that has most recently worked in Ibiza, Spain.

Recent Posts

10 Ways Beauty Has Changed Decade By Decade

Beauty, just like fashion, is something that is ever-changing and evolving. Something that may be super popular in the beauty…

2 hours ago

The Complete Uni Guide Every Fresher Needs

For those starting university in September, here is our Uni guide for you! You can now just about see independence…

4 hours ago

The Best Easter Decorations To Put Around Your Home

Easter Decorations is not something I have ever really done. Where I am from we do your standard Easter egg…

6 hours ago

5 Upcoming Family Movies To Watch At The Cinemas

Going to the cinemas and watching family movies with your parents and/or children is something of a staple in our…

8 hours ago

Here’s Why The Women’s Football World Cup Was So Important

There are people who don't have a clue about football. Then there are people who are intensely passionate about 'the beautiful…

10 hours ago

10 Style Icons To Take Inspiration From For Winter Outfits

As the weather gets colder there tends to be a struggle when it comes to fashion in finding the right…

16 hours ago