How To Stand Out From the Writing Crowd

By Joe Williams

You have to figure, in the writing world, there are millions of people trying to do the same thing as you, because there are.

That’s why standing out from the crowd is necessary.

Getting noticed can do amazing things, including lead to more exciting opportunities.

Through preparation, attention to detail and self-improvement, you may very well be standing out like a shark among minnows.

Here is what you need to know to stand out:

• Take Your Time with Your Writing–This requires you to allot yourself time for your writing (which is often difficult for us procrastinators). The greatest masterpieces weren’t done overnight. If your objective is to stand out, then you must work hard to outdo your competition.
• Become Familiar with Your Voice–When you become familiar with your unique voice and how it is different than everyone else’s, you’ll realize that you’ve put forth your greatest effort.
• Don’t Be Like Everyone Else—This is essential to standing out from the crowd. You need to discover what makes you unique. You need to understand the value in offering the world a different perspective. Otherwise you’ll end up not standing out at all, or being a copycat.For example, there are so many bands out there who want to be like their musical influences. Unfortunately, the mistake these bands often make is, rather than embracing what makes them unique, they do everything they can to resemble their favorite band. The result is a sound that too closely resembles that favorite band, making the band nothing more than a lame copycat.
• Play with Your Voice–Play with your writing style. Change it up a little when it fits, and see which self-set limitations/boundaries you can push through. When you do this, you will see yourself growing, and your characters and words will gradually become more impressive. Then self-satisfaction will creep in.That’s a good thing, and it likely means you have developed a unique voice.
• Put Your Voice Out There–Although it’s difficult, don’t hesitate to let others hear (read) your voice. If you are hesitating, that means you either need to go back and put finishing touches on your voice/writing or you need to shut your inner editor off.

One thing that you need to be aware of is this–Don’t be too hard on yourself.

Patience, self-acceptance and dedication will produce so much better writing than self-rejection and hiding your uniqueness will. If you catch yourself rejecting your voice and trying to be more like other writers, take a short break to re-group, then come back strong and motivated.

You know you’re talented, so sacrifice some time and let your unique voice flow onto the page. Recognizing and accepting your unique voice will help you construct and complete your writing more efficiently.

Motivate yourself to get your writing done and appreciate the results that you get because remember, your opinion is the only one that really counts.

The crowd always has, and always will, be there. To stand out from the writing crowd is a goal that can be achieved. You just need to accept your writing voice and use it as a way of feeding your audience something different and unique.

Also, be ready to give them more, because they’re going to like what they’re reading and crave it.

About the Author: Joe Williams is rock-n-roll singer/songwriter. He creates original writing daily and believes it’s important for writers to find their own style.