Bronwynne Powell: Sharing her tips on how to become a content writer
Have you ever dreamed of becoming a content writer? And do you wonder what it actually means? In this podcast, I speak to Bronwynne Powell from Cape Town about her decision to become a content writer. She shares valuable tips on how she managed to make the transition from a journalist in print media to become an online writer.
Play this podcast for more great tips on content writing
When Bronwynne started pursuing her dream to become a content writer, she didn't expect it to be so hard. There she was, a seasoned journalist with a strong writing background and years of experience in media. What could go wrong? And how hard can it be?
It was much harder than what Bronwynne expected. Many things did go wrong. She got rejected, she was ignored, she was disappointed. More than once. But she persevered. And she learned some valuable lessons that she shares in the podcast.
It would've been great if lessons could happen in a certain order so you could prepare for them in some way, but that's not how life works. We just take them as they come and try to make sense of them, learn from them and try and do better.
And here are some of Bronwynne's these lessons, in no particular order.
1. It was much harder than expected
Bronwynne saw an opportunity to re-invent herself and assumed it was going to be a walk in the park. Pursuing a career as a content writer seemed like an easy and natural next step. But it wasn't.
It's easy to forget that you're starting something new that you've never done before, and you don't really know how all the little pieces fit together. And it's usually the crucial little pieces that make all the difference and can cause major frustrations and heartache if you haven't figured it out. And that is what make things so hard. Sometimes you don't know what you're doing and things don't work the way you want them to, or you think you know what you're doing and things still don't want to fit together nicely. At times you'll feel like someone who's just trying to find your way in a pitch dark room, while everyone else is out partying in the sun.
You can only learn by doing, and the doing can be hard. But Bronwynne kept on doing her thing until it became easier.
2. Different strokes for different folks
Bronwynne came from a career in newspapers and media relations. It should've been a breeze to write for an online audience. It wasn't. Instead of reporting on what she read, people wanted to hear her voice and her opinion. The tone had to be engaging and conversational. Writing for the web was a far cry from reporting the news. People came to her blog with a problem and wanted a solution to that problem. And they were looking for fresh content and a new perspective. This was one of the first lessons that Bronwynne had to learn. And she aced it. You can read her content on
www.bronwynnepowell.com.
3. Rejection is a part of life
Dealing with rejection can be devastating and it can rob you of your confidence. But Bronwynne learned to deal with it by seeing rejection as a natural part of growth. She mentions the example of Stephen King who got so many rejection letters that he had to hang it on a spike. But he kept on writing. And today he is one of the best-known authors in the world. Even though the first rejections were crushing Bronwynne still kept on working on her writing. And when she landed her first client, the rejection just became another memory.
4. Consistency is key
Robin Sharma has this beautiful quote where he says, "Consistency is the mother of all mastery." Bronwynne became better when she became more consistent. Doing little things every day to perfect her craft and putting herself out there. Some of them were easy. Some were difficult until she did them often enough that it became easy.
She kept on doing the little things even though she didn't see the rewards at first. She kept using her systems even though she wasn't sure how things will work out. But she kept on doing them. And she was rewarded for those little things that she did every day. Because success usually follows consistency.
5. Create a system that works for you
One of the key breakthroughs was when she developed her own system that suited her needs. It didn't have to be complicated with many steps. It only had to work. And it did. Wonderfully. Once she had a system a lot of little things started falling into place. She had a plan, she was more productive and she was more motivated to write.
Creating a system will simplify life for you because then you will know when to do tasks and what you need to complete them. And keep it simple.
5. Be willing to learn
It's impossible to know everything. And many times it's a small thing that we're missing that's stopping us from moving forward. And at times just by being willing to learn from others that missing link can fall into place for us. Bronwynne is big on learning from others because those who have gone before you can teach you the most valuable lessons. She has introduced me to John Clear, who is one of the most inspiring writers ever. Some of her most significant lessons come from John Clear, who's just an absolute voice of reason, inspiration, motivation and fresh thinking.
Once you open yourself to learning and have the willingness to be taught, you are on your way to
success.
6. Enjoy what you do
Things changed for Bronwynne when she started enjoying her writing. It became much easier when she started loving what she was doing. But for that to happen, other things first had to fall into place. Figure out what you need to do to start enjoying what you do, and things will be easier. You will find joy in building your dream. And it makes all the difference.
7. Just write
Don't wait for conditions to be perfect. Don't wait until you've finished another writing course. Don't wait until you have enough money to pay for a web hosting service. Don't get bogged down with finding the perfect theme. Don't wait for things to be perfect. Just write. Use the free stuff. Write about your experiences. Learn new things. And write.
Bronwynne encourages you to just write and the rest will fall into place. Sometimes we stress so much over other things that we forget to do the one thing that's most important. Content writing is all about writing. Focus on that every day and your work will start speaking for itself.
For more lessons from Bronwynne,
please listen to the podcast. You will be inspired by her energy, her passion and her joy. And the one thing that she will leave with it is that it is possible to dream and to pursue what's in your heart. It won't be easy but it will definitely be worth it.
Photos Courtesy of:
Arnel Hasanovic: https://unsplash.com/photos/MNd-Rka1o0Q
Noah Silliman
Andrea Leopardi
Patrick Fore
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