How can my writing possibly improve if I don’t write? Yes, that’s a contradiction, but what I mean by not writing is don’t only write.
It is common for a writer to consider only writing for a period. It may be when you’re stuck or not seeing return on your investment in writing. It may just be that you’ve heard how isolation has worked for others.
Be warned, however: this romantic ideal of focusing only on writing can limit your perspective.
I try to avoid rejection at all costs. Does that mean I give up easily? Hell no!
Any article about rejection will tell you to never let the fear of hearing “no” keep you from doing something. They’re right.
Then how do I avoid rejection, you ask? I work my butt off to be the best, and I do whatever it takes to get what I want. I also rarely take no for an answer.
It generally works, although I’ve also been pretty fortunate. Or I’m just so persistent that people tell me yes just to get me to stop emailing them. Either way, my quest for acceptance works out in my favor.
Great articles come in all shapes and sizes, from transient internet lists to verbose, lengthy musings in the London Review of Books.
Truly engaging articles, however, don’t happen by accident.
The mark of a great piece of engaging content (for our purposes here, at least) is not how long it is, how fancy the language is, how qualified the author is, or how technical the subject matter is. It’s how the reader feels while (and after) they read it.
I have written articles in under two hours that got over half a million views in less than 24 hours.
For me to sit and write 5,000 to 6,000 words in one evening writing session is not unheard of (first draft, of course).
A couple decades of experience and habit certainly help with being able to write this way, but I definitely am not the most disciplined daily writer you’ll meet. For that, you should seek out Stephen King or some other prolific creative person.