Winning a gold medal represents the pinnacle for a world class Olympic athlete. It takes many years and tons of practice for an athlete to refine their natural abilities until they can compete with the world’s best in their sport.
The same principle holds true with becoming a skilled ghostwriter. Winning the “Ghostwriting Olympics” means refining your writing skills until you become elite at your craft. Expert ghostwriters can expect to find their ghostwriting service in high demand from a wide range of clients.
What can you do to become a world class ghostwriter? Here are a few exercises that will improve your mental shape during your ghostwriter training:
Sharpen observation skills
Writers are at their best when they can draw inspiration from what goes on around them. Your writing feels more authentic when it is peppered with little details drawn from everyday life. Listen to conversations when you visit a local coffee shop. Observe people interacting at a festival or a concert. Paying closer attention to what you see and hear can make it easier to create content that speaks to a larger audience because you understand how that audience thinks and feels.
Become a storyteller
Nothing is shared faster than a good story. All eyes and ears become fixed on the storyteller as they spin their tale. Make it a point to create a story within a content. This is not something reserved for fiction or creative non-fiction alone. You can use real life examples or fictional scenarios to illustrate a point or flesh out a topic. Content that tells a story will captivate a reader better than if it simply states specific facts and moves onto the next topic.
Experiment with writing style
A good writer never stops experimenting with their voice. Writing is a skill that evolves over time. It is meant to grow and live. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to crafting original content. Tinker with structure and style when you write. Exploring different angles for conveying the same information can be fun. It lets you find the writing style that suits your skills the best.
Find a writing mentor
It helps to have a sounding board when creating content. Finding a writing mentor can help you learn how to flesh out ideas, find topics to explore and polish your writing so it effectively engages your target audience. A writing mentor can give you valuable feedback and help you channel your writing skills in the right direction. You can typically find a mentor by joining a professional writing group.
Connect through social media
Social media offers the perfect avenue for getting noticed. Writers can join professional writing groups on sites like Facebook or LinkedIn. These groups offer opportunities to network with other writers or to find new writing jobs. Connecting with potential clients is also easier through social media. You can use a social media profile or account to entice clients to hire you for writing projects.
John C is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
