How One New Writer Jump‑Started His Dream Career (and What You Can Learn From His First 3 Months)

A new writer’s honest look at the first three months of building his dream career, including four down to earth tips for anyone just getting started on their own writing journey.

Ever wonder what those first few months really look like when you decide to go all in on writing?

Meet Darren, a brand‑new Barefoot Writer who started with no experience, a dash of nerves, and a whole lot of determination. Three months later, he’s blogging, building his confidence, and even celebrating his first paid win!

I love this story because it shows what happens when you just start. Doesn’t matter if it’s a messy start. You can be imperfect and bold, scared and open-hearted, and just watch—it’ll all work out. 🌟

To your writing success,

Mindy

P.S. Note the four lessons that helped Darren turn “someday” into “right now.”

Three Months In: 4 Tips to Help New Writers Move Forward

By Darren Stout

About three months ago, I was staring unemployment in the face (again).

But now, I’m making strides toward living the writer’s life. And today, I’m going to share four tips that moved me forward so you can launch your own writer’s life as soon as possible.

When I first got excited about being a writer, I wanted to soak up every piece of information I could in as short a time as possible. One thing that stood out immediately was the popular recommendation to choose a niche where you can focus your writing.

Choosing a niche in something you’re passionate about is an important first step. For me, that part wasn’t hard. I love gardening and golf.

So, I decided on a blog for my gardening writing. I’d heard that WordPress was a great place to get started with a blog … and it also fits my budget (it’s free).

That brings me to Tip #1: Create a website or blog and publicize your work. You might not get thousands of visits per month, but it’s an important experience to create work for online display.

Darren Stout in his writer’s office in Oklahoma

I haven’t made any money from it yet, but the blog has been a great way for me to get daily practice writing. I hope to eventually move the content to a website that will help me market myself as a gardening copywriter.

Now that I have a niche I want to focus on, time management has become important. Because, along with posting on my blog three times per week, I recently began both a new full-time day job and the The AWAI Method™ for Becoming a Skilled, In-Demand Copywriter. The program has proven to be an eye-opening and educational experience … and I’m not even halfway through it!

And that’s Tip #2: Study … study … study. It won’t get old if you truly love writing and want the writer’s life someday. Begin a program like the The AWAI Method™ for Becoming a Skilled, In-Demand Copywriter so you’ll be able to practice and get feedback from the experts.

Now, with so much to do, I really have to prioritize. It’s an exercise in balance with family time. My goal is to quit my job this year and start living the writer’s life, but for now, I have to make the best use of mornings and evenings that I can. Fortunately, I’ve found a way to stay motivated by connecting with other writers.

That brings me to Tip #3: Get involved with a writer’s organization and participate in conversations to get all the mentoring and encouragement you can. To ease my own reservations, I’ve been “picking the brains” of many writers with AWAI. My first interaction with copywriting “gurus” was when I became a member of the Barefoot Writer Club. That led to corresponding with members of AWAI and getting feedback on questions from the AWAI Forum.

I’ll close with Tip #4: Write at every opportunity — especially if it’s a chance to put your work in front of the experts. Who knows? You just might win a contest! It worked for me. My jump-start (and first paid writing accomplishment) was winning the Barefoot Writing Challenge essay contest. I can’t begin to describe my surprise when I won. I was so elated that I literally choked up when I told my wife I had won.

Here Darren practices his gardening passion

Best of all, I know this is just the beginning and my “wins” will start to snowball from here.

Make the commitment. Don’t wait. And, if you’re still working full-time like me, be patient. The writer’s life will happen for you because of your dedication to make it happen.

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PS - If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience?

This spreads the word about achieving a paid writer’s life—and the more voices in our community, the more advice and examples we can share. 🙏