Get Published: 7 Reasons to Diversify Your Writing

I now have another excuse for not keeping up with On Living By Learning blog posts: AlbanyKid.com.  Another blog?  Yes, another blog.  At this point, you’re probably wondering why in the world anyone would want to launch another blog when they’re barely managing to keep up with the first one.

Diversification, my friends, diversification.  In the 21st Century, wise investments in a writing career call for not putting all your eggs in one basket.

In counseling writers on how to generate a goals document, Jeff Vandermeer writes:

“it should acknowledge that you want to grow as a writer, and push yourself to do new things.  Diversification, if you have the temperament for it, is one of the ways in which you can best take advantage of the opportunities that have opened up in this century.  It also limits your susceptibility to those elements outside of your control – like a weak economy, for example.” (Booklife: Strategies and Survival Tips for the 21st Century Writer)

I mulled this over for awhile, not sure that I could do any more diversifying with my limited time as a homeschooling-jack of all-trades-mom.  As much as I would like it to be, sleep is still not an optional item for me.  Then, I came up with a list of reasons to go ahead with this foolish notion.

7 Reasons to Diversify My Writing:

1. Practice – You have to write in order to get your writing published, and you also have to practice writing to produce anything worth publishing.  My daughter’s harp teacher likes to say, “perfect practice makes perfect music,” whatever that means.  I don’t think there is any such thing as perfect practice of writing.  Any kind of practice will do. Diversifying your writing means that you’re writing, and writing means that you are practicing your writing, ipso facto, diversifying your writing means that you’re practicing your writing.  So, as one thing leads to another, in circular reasoning fashion, diversification gives you an excuse to do more writing.

2. Test your strengths and weaknesses – Some kinds of writing are just easier than others, no matter how much you practice. But, you can’t know what you’re good at until you try.   I have some dreams (private, for now) as to what kind of writing I’d like to get published.  As part of my master plan, I’ve created a new blog that I think will be a better venue for that kind of writing.  However, I’m such a fledgling writer, that I’ll pretty much try anything, including tackling the list of writing specialties described in Christina Katz’s Writer Mama: How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside your Kids:

• Tips.
• List articles.
• Fillers, also called “shorts.”
• How-to articles.
• Personal experience articles.

3. Write faster – The tips and tricks that you pick up when tackling different kinds of writing, especially when they are under the gun of deadlines, will help you become a faster writer.  I hope.  No, I’m pretty sure this is true.  Once you’ve written a few tips, lists, or how-to’s, you’ll have a feel  for those kinds of templates.  Diversification into these avenues gives you new tools that you can choose to use, or not, to generate content.  I suspect the same is true even when writing fiction, but I’ll have to test out this hypothesis before making this assertion.  (Note to self – Nora Roberts seems to crank out the novels at a prodigious pace, and she’s writing romances, suspence, scifi, and who knows what else.  Maybe diversification is the secret of her speed.)

4. Write for strangers – If the only writing that you’ve done so far has been for a private audience of me, myself, and I; then diversification could be the first time that you write for strangers.  Just thinking about taking that risk is frightening; but just like getting on a roller coaster, once you get over the initial fear it’s an exhilarating ride.  That cycle of fear and increased comfort level helps build your confidence as a writer, giving you the strength to tackle bigger challenges.  Diversified public writing gives you the opportunity to ride all kinds of roller coasters, from the baby coasters to the Kinda Ka of publishing.

5. Find a new audience – Self-publishing, either with a blog, e-book, or other media, gives the writer a chance to get a response from readers.  That alone can inspire you to write more and more, leading to more practice and better writing.  I may be wrong on this, but I suspect that Dave Barry and E.D. Hirsch, Jr. appeal to different audiences.  I’m also betting that Hirsch isn’t getting the kind of laughs that make Barry such a popular writer.  Diversification into other subjects or writing styles can reward the writer with a new audience, and possibly a different kind of response to that kind of writing.

6. Find the writing that clicks – If all goes well, this process of diversification should lead the writer to discover the writing that clicks.  I don’t believe in the stereotype of the angst-ridden writer, when even Edgar Allen Poe has been revealed as a more robust fellow.  At some point, the writer who has explored all available avenues should be able to find a kind of writing that more or less flows, and that is received sufficiently well. (Note – the level of flow or response will vary with the individual.  What is acceptable to me may not be sufficient reward for you.  It’s a personal thing.)    If that doesn’t happen to the extent that it meets your needs after you’ve given it all you’ve got, then maybe it’s time to pursue another challenge.

7. Busy writers write – It makes no sense, but the busier you are, the more you’re able to accomplish.  This was true when I was in school.  The kids who didn’t have jobs or after school activities were also the ones who didn’t finish their homework.  Lots of free time led them to lots of time wasters such as TV sitcoms.  What else would explain the popularity of Three’s Company?  Juggling a busy schedule keeps you from the Farmvilles and other time suckers of our time.  Even if you do check in on your kumquats, or whatever else is growing on your virtual farm, you won’t stay long because you can’t.  Your diversified audience and deadlines won’t allow it.

Warning: It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Okay, I’m convinced that diversification is a good thing, and I’m going to try it from now on.  But, I’m still the busy mom that I was before I made this grand decision.  I’m not really seeing how this will play out, but I do know that I want some time for sleep and family play.

In the short tem, I’m thinking that there might be even longer intervals in the On Living By Learning posting frequency.  I’m not saying that’s going to happen, but it’s a distinct possibility.  Just in case, so that you don’t miss me too much, come join me on Albany Kid, where I write about fun and educational things to do with kids in New York.

Come for a visit, or stay awhile.  You can get the free Albany Kid daily updates by email or by RSS Feed.  I hope to see you there!

Booklife: Strategies and Survival Tips for the 21st Century Writer (9781892391902): Jeff VanderMeer: Books

Writer Mama: How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids (9781582974415): Christina Katz: Books ISBN: 1582974411 ISBN-13: 9781582974415