Recently, I received a Facebook Memories notification for the first Odyssey article that I shared. I couldn't beleive that it had already been a year since I first started writing for Odyssey. Spending a year writing has definately taught me a lot about the creative process, professionalism, and myself.
1. Don't. Wait. Till. The. Last. Minute.
Picture this: it's 4:45 on a Wednesday, and you're happily chilling in your room, watching nettflix and thinking about what you're going to have for dinner. Then it hits you: it's almost five on a Wednesday, AKA Odyssey article deadline. Don't let this happen to you! Start thinking about your article over the weekend, and start writing on Monday, so that on Wednesday, you'll be ready to go.
2. It's okay to feel uninspired.
Sometimes I won't be able to think of something to write about for days. That's okay though -- sometimes you might loose your writing flow, or need help thinking up article ideas.
3. Listen to your editors.
Their edits on your articles are there to help you. They know what they're talking about, and want you to be successful. They've been writing for a while, and know what it takes for an article to get views and go viral.
4. Type up your articles in Word first.
That way, you'll have a copy on your computer, and will be able to have an article written even if you loose internet or power. You'll also have access to Spellcheck, and can open multiple word documents if you want to compare multiple article layouts or multiple paragraph orders.
5. Write about what you care about.
Watch the news, read magazines, scroll through your twitter feed, or talk to your friends about current events. What catches your mind? What do you think people need to know about? What stories need the other side to be told? While articles like this might take a little longer to research and write, they're definitely worth it in the end.
