| It's amazing being a writer. You have the power to | | | | actress, producer, publisher, entrepreneur and |
| express yourself, to shape the way others see the | | | | philanthropist. Don't underestimate yourself. It is possible |
| world and to make things happen. Long after your | | | | to become versatile without compromising your high |
| footprints vanish from the sands of time, the words | | | | standards. |
| you write will be read, shared and remembered. But | | | | 3. It opens the door to financial success- In today's |
| are you more than a writer? Because you see, the | | | | publishing world; a writer must wear many hats. In |
| industry certainly expects you to be. This article shares | | | | addition to endless proofreading for instance, he or she |
| with you, 3 reasons why versatility is a writer's | | | | must be willing to craft proposals, negotiate an |
| greatest asset. | | | | advance, organise robust marketing campaigns, |
| 1. It makes you more convincing- Don't we all love | | | | budget, administrate, network at functions, speak in |
| writing that reaches out and pulls us right into the | | | | public and flesh out ideas for yet many more books. |
| page? Masterful writers are intelligent, passionate and | | | | Have you got what it takes? You better do. Financial |
| detailed in their craft but most of all they are | | | | gurus have taught for years that the key to wealth |
| convincing. When Michael Crichton wrote the sci-fi | | | | and uncommon success is having multiple income |
| classic, Jurassic Park, he tapped into another part of | | | | streams. But how can one have multiple income |
| himself- used his extensive medical experience to | | | | streams without multiple talents and interests? Before |
| advantage. The result is a fictional work that reeks | | | | best selling author, Amy Tan, became a novelist she |
| with authenticity and of course one that earned | | | | worked as a commercial copywriter. Since the Joy |
| Crichton millions of dollars from movie deals. These | | | | Luck Club, she has added screenwriter, essayist, public |
| days, readers demand that writers 'show and not tell'. | | | | speaker, journal editor and amateur musician to her |
| But how can you show what you do not know? | | | | resume. After all creativity is not all about producing; it |
| When you discover, develop and harness a wider | | | | is also about leveraging what you know. Many writers |
| range of life experiences and talents, your writing will | | | | today are also athletes, politicians, photographers, |
| sparkle and your readers will be hooked for life. | | | | entrepreneurs and scientists. With the invasion of mass |
| Versatile people can bring their wealth of experience, | | | | media technology, the younger generation is reading |
| the richness of their lives, into their work. Take your | | | | less and so the onus lies on the modern scribe to |
| writing to the next level by discovering your | | | | communicate beyond the book. If you aspire to make |
| multitalented self. | | | | a living doing what you love, don't get ahead of |
| 2. It makes you more productive- Do you ever struggle | | | | yourself, just plan ahead. Craft your novel so that it |
| with writer's block? Often the best solution is to take a | | | | appeals to movie producers. Learn to write songs or |
| short break from the project and return to it with | | | | screenplays, publish your own blog or newsletter... step |
| renewed zest. If you have been working hard at your | | | | outside the box. Dr Stephen Covey, author of The |
| writing for weeks, now is the perfect time to find a | | | | Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, makes much |
| new challenge, to try something different. Rediscover | | | | of his income not from book sales but from high profile |
| your passion for song writing or dance, learn to knit a | | | | speaking engagements. |
| sweater, style hair or paint a water colour portrait. | | | | I will never forget the fictional character, Oliver Twist. |
| Make time to see life with new eyes and allow your | | | | He was young, scrawny, homeless, unschooled and |
| fingers to show you what they can do. There's more | | | | yet he wasn't afraid to ask for what he wanted. Even |
| to life than paper and pen. Take a break. Decorate or | | | | after he got a beating for his trouble, Oliver continued |
| cook, reclaim your love for fashion or art, find another | | | | to yearn for a better life. Likewise in all of us there is a |
| side to you. You are a multi-dimensional being: daughter | | | | desire to become more. If you want to grow as a |
| and mother, father and son, friend and sibling, spirit and | | | | person you must sustain a healthy sense of curiosity. |
| soul. To excel as a writer, you must be willing to | | | | And if you are still willing to succeed as a writer, then |
| become everything else you were born to be. Oprah | | | | take time to discover, develop and harness your |
| Winfrey is an award winning talk show hostess, | | | | hidden talents. |