Choosing Your Niche: A Guide for Beginners—Guest Post from Kate Thora

Becoming a writer always starts with a bit of soul-searching. If you want to make it in the world of creative writing, you need to have something that will make you stand out from the pack. You can either focus on developing a distinctive style or write about controversial topics.

But first of all, you need to find your field of expertise that will best represent your skills and interests. If you are wondering how to get started in creative writing, read on and equip yourself with the most effective tips on finding the right niche and getting passionate about work as an author.

Study time
When you take a closer look at the history of literature, you may notice that world-famous authors are remembered for excellence in one field— Edgar Allan Poe is known for thrilling short stories, Charles Dickens for captivating bildungsromans, Robert Frost for honest poetry, and Susan Sontag for politically involved essays. In order to pick your niche, you need to know what particular fields you can choose from. It is, therefore, recommended to read on the subject of creative writing and learn the genres as well as subgenres of fiction and nonfiction.

Fiction vs. nonfiction
The next big decision you will have to make is to decide whether you are more passionate about fiction or nonfiction. Nowadays, both genres are very competitive, however if you are great at what you do and are able to grab the attention of your readers with unique style and captivating story or comprehensive knowledge and competent analysis, the fans will follow naturally. People are drawn to charismatic writers who are not afraid to voice their opinions through their fiction or nonfiction works.

Three is a crowd
While some people find success in writing about almost anything, most authors, bloggers, and freelance journalists decide to narrow down their field of expertise and focus on the topics they are most passionate about. If you have not written anything yet, you may want to start by listing the disciplines you like talking, reading, and listening about. If you already have a bit of experience in writing, go down memory lane and recall what topics lifted you up and gave you that natural flow most writers desire.

Write for yourself
After you have established the basics, it’s time to get cracking. The best way to find out if you’re good at what you do is to write for yourself and evaluate your work. Let go of your fear of failure, forget the worries and struggles of publishing process, don’t think about sales charts—just focus on writing. I’m aware that it’s easier said than done, but remember that the good things come straight from the heart. No one can pressure you to do things you don’t want to do or write stories that aren’t right up your alley. After all, you are your best and harshest critic, so write something that you would enjoy reading for years to come.

Write regularly
Many beginning writers struggle with a so-called writer’s block. This condition is associated with a lack of creativity followed by an inability to produce good content. If you feel like you have run out of ideas, it’s always good to go for a walk, exercise, or call a dear friend. Many writers also recommend to create some routines around writing. One of them is writing regularly, at similar times, in similar conditions. Choose the place that inspires you, but at the same time lets you summon your ideas.

Choosing the right niche can take some time, but finding your true field of expertise is a rewarding and freeing feeling that will give you a powerful dose of motivation to complete your work. Good luck!

 

Kate Thora is a Senior Content Specialist for Uphours, an online resource with information about businesses worldwide. Aside from her passion for writing, Kate’s artistic soul manifests itself also in her love for singing and dancing, especially to traditional Indian music. Follow her on Twitter @katethora1.

Image: © Depositphotos.com/feedough

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