I’ve written professionally for longer than I care to share; it’s something that I can’t not do. I think it’s an obsession for every professional writer, and editor, for that matter. A colleague of mine and I joke that it’s a “sickness.” We have to write, and we have to correct every grammar error we see and hear. I drive my family and friends crazy; but hey, they drive me crazy too, so it’s a fair toss.
I’m a narcissist and a purist. I admit it; it’s a character flaw, but it’s who I am. So, I’m sure you can imagine that when blogging became such a popular form of writing, I was, well, DISGUSTED! Blogging was not professional writing in my book, and bloggers were not professional writers.
Nope! I want to wash the newspaper ink off my hands every morning; I want to break in the binding of my new book so it’s comfortable in my grasp; I want my medical information from a medical journal, my legal information from a legal journal, and my technical information from a technical journal! I’m old-fashioned!
Since I can’t not write, however, and my current I-don’t-remember-how-many-books-I’ve-started hasn’t hit The New York Times bestseller list yet, I had to adapt. Just like I had to adapt to the new Smartphone I bought a couple of weeks ago, but we aren’t going to get into that. Did you know phone insurance doesn’t cover throwing it up against the wall?
So, alas, I have switched my focus from the technical business writing to which I am so accustomed to learning to write blogs. And let me tell you, the business, finance, and legal stuff I write is pretty exciting! Riveting! Taxes are riveting! Trust me they are… Okay, they’re not! I know, I know! This is exactly why I got over myself and embraced this new writing format.
Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been ghost-blogging through Quality Gal, and I have to admit that I am really surprised at how much I enjoy this writing style. I’m not going to say it hasn’t been a challenge. It’s hard to rework your brain out of legal-mumbo-jumbo-land and into fun and conversational writing. Once I did, however, I began to understand why so many people love it.
Being able to let my hair down is just one reason why I’m truly enjoying this new form of income. Another reason is the challenge I face adapting to the different personalities I must embrace as a ghost-blogger. One blog, I need to be serious and professional, the next one, not so much. I’ve enjoyed how this flexes my brain’s creative muscles.
What also makes this challenging – but fun – is writing for several different websites. Gone are the days of business, finance, law… business, finance, law… business, finance, law… which I won’t pooh-pooh, because I’ve made my living writing about the stuff, and it is important and interesting to geeks like me. Now, however, I get to write about all kinds of industries and topics, and that definitely keeps me engaged; I get to learn about the industries for which I blog.
You see, I love a challenge and I love to learn new things. I find the challenges of learning new things fun; I find writing about them even more fun. It was a challenge to learn how to blog – well, frankly, the challenge was getting over myself and then learning how to blog. It’s a challenge writing them, and it’s a challenge juggling the long-term assignments in with my other workload. But you know what? This former blog cynic says it’s worth every bit of the challenge! I ended up loving blogging, and so will you!
Sharon Platz
QualityGal Writer Since 2011
About the Author: Sharon Platz is a freelance writer, editor, and content auditor with an eclectic resume that spans nearly 30 years. She rescues and socializes feral cats in her spare time, and is a “foodie” constantly looking for the next great vegetarian/vegan dish accompanied by the perfect glass of wine.