Sometimes you have to do odd things to motivate yourself toward taking a professional approach to a writing career.
Some folks choose a day job that requires them to write, such as journalism. That’s a good one. Others prefer to get straight into the sort of creative writing they want to do, but without the “gotta do it” of a 9-5 job to motivate them, struggle to feel like an actual professional, especially in the early going, before the money’s flowing in.
Here’s an idea. Might seem a bit goofy at first, but it has motivated many: invest a bit in your self-image and your professional image by buying yourself a set of, say, 500 business cards.
And I don’t mean the cheap things you can do on your own inkjet printer at home. I’m talking about the ones you have to order at a print shop and pay a few bucks for.
As silly as it may seem, once you start carrying around professionally-made business cards that include your name, contact information and the job title of “writer” on them, it won’t take you long to start feeling a bit more professional, which will motivate you to work more on your writing.
And hey, drop some in those fishbowls at restaurants; it just might lead to some work - or at least a free lunch from some guy out to sell you insurance.
