Day 7 – Writing Challenge – Find an old photograph that you like and share the story behind it
Welcome to the exhilarating Day 7 of the Writing Challenge. While you all write for today’s challenge and share the old photograph that you like and the story behind it, you can also check the below topic. It will highlight the pros and cons of taking writing as a career. Keep learning!
Another topic of the day – Writing as a Career
Find an old photograph that you like and share the story behind it
Behind the curtain, lies the end of our curiosity. It either makes you happy that justifies your curiosity or you regret to have ever looked beyond that curtain.
Photographs speak uncountable things. It has endless interpretations and we always wonder what would be the story behind that photograph. It is visible to all but what’s behind the curtain? It makes us curious.
They keep our memories alive for as long as they exist. Have you ever found a photograph suddenly while doing something else? It takes our mind to that exact moment and you shall find yourself either blushing or wondering why you still have it.
Go look at those old photos on an album or laptop. Find that one photograph that you feel you want to share with everyone.
The end of curiosity is not always a disappointment. It can also be a source of motivation for others. Raise the curtain and let others know about that photograph you hold dear.
Date: 9 February 2020
I had taken this photograph when I was staying away from home. My parents made a plan to meet me and came all the way long, and it was a great time spent with them. The photograph is of that day when they were leaving, and I had to stay back. We were sitting on the bench under a tree with yellow flowers. My mother gave me these flowers that fell on her.
I was holding the bag with me and took this photograph as a remembrance. Soon after a month, panic began about the Covid-19, and it took me almost 11 months to meet my parents again. It was the longest gap in the last ten years after I first moved out of my home due to my studies and job.
I wished to see them soon, but things got topsy-turvy, and the whole atmosphere of happiness turned into panic and chaos. Today I am there with my parents and hope this new “normal” life that we have started living changes for the better, and we live unmasked again.
With that story behind that photograph, today’s challenge comes to an end and we shall continue reading about taking up writing as a career option.
Writing as a Career
To make a career in writing, a person should be able to ink down thoughts and ideas in a way that ignites hope and solve problems. You ought to not only write for your satisfaction but to help people in shaping their lives. As a writer, you can motivate people around you, give them hope when they least expect it, and nurture broken lives to restart on a new path. You have to very responsibly carve out the journey which you take towards rebuilding others’ lives.
You want to take up writing as a career, then why think too hard. Let us see the good side and the not-so-good side of being a writer your entire life. When you decide something to do in your life, there is no way you will only get positive thoughts. What matters is how badly you want to do that something in your life. If it is all you ever wanted or seems like the best opportunity, then the risk is worth taking. Even if we fail, we will live a life without regrets.
Before we began to look forward, ask yourself the first question-
Why do you want to have a career in writing? Why not something else?
The sooner and better answer you can give yourself, the stronger your willpower will be to go on that path and face the struggles.
Below are the opportunities in a career based on writing:
- Novel Writer
- Freelancer writer
- Copywriter
- Translator
- Transcript writer
- Blogger
- Technical writer
- Editor
- Ghostwriter
The opportunities are endless. There will be struggles, but it is there in every field when you get started. If you can stick through the thin, you can enjoy the breeze later.
Good and Not-So-Great Things about “Writing as a Career”:
- Good Things Ahead
- Your mind, your schedule
You are not bound to follow someone else’s schedule. When you take control of your life, you have the freedom to think, imagine and write about things that you want to. You can work as per your needs with discipline. Feel free to go anywhere and feel inspired to write it all about your next venture. You have a flexible life that allows you to not rush at everything that matters to you other than your work.
Speak your mind and share what you know with lots of people who can benefit from it, and you never know, somebody was waiting for that exact thought or idea to get them started with their life. You can be that person. You do what you love, and not everyone has the courage to follow their dreams. Most of us never take a step towards our ambitions.
- You get to change lives and make an impact
When you genuinely write to make positive changes in life, society, communities and find genuine followers or admirers, you get to change lives and make an impact. When you are translating a piece of writing, you make it reach out to more people. It touches innumerable lives through the writer’s thoughts. As a writer, when people admire you and appreciate your work, it makes you realize it makes a difference, and it feels great!
- Fame and Luxury
In different types of writing, you get paid differently. As a beginner, you first learn to acknowledge mistakes and create better pieces, and with time, once you have fine-tuned your craft, and written valuable work, you earn fame and wealth. Fame gives you exposure, and people know you more than before. You become important to them. The journey of a writer does not stop there.
When your books get published, you earn royalties for a long time. As a freelancer, you get paid for the projects you undertake, and with experience and expertise, your earnings also increase. You earn well and live a fulfilling life. Once you have established yourself and people trust you and your work, life looks like a dream, but you have your struggles that we shall discuss soon.
Not-so-great things about Writing as a Career
- Lack of Inspiration and Ideas
It happens with most of the creative work. You are not always inspired, and you run out of ideas and get stuck with the start or confused with the end. It can be frustrating when you are unable to find new ideas. If you stop being innovative and engaging, you might lose clients who trust your problem-solving abilities.
It sets you on a negative path that you may not be capable of enough. It may make you question your skills and talent. But it is all a phase. It’s all part of the work. Sometimes, you are bombarded with ideas, and sometimes, you stay blank. Then it is a good time for you to take a break from your work, rejuvenate your spirits, let your mind wander, and do not force it to think too hard that it collapses. Soon you will find something on your way that strikes your creative mind.
- Criticisms
Be ready to take criticisms. Every individual is different and so are the minds. What you like and what you think might not always impress others or might not always get appreciated. We write it thinking that we are doing our best, but the other person might not have the same opinion.
When your work is out there reaching people, they read and give reviews. It may be good or bad. You need to take the criticisms and think about them rather than feeling pessimistic. It is better said than done. Read the reviews and critically analyze them to see where you can improve. Do not let criticisms break your motivation.
- Lack of opportunities and facing Failure
We all want to become successful, but it is very much possible that we may fail to achieve it. It can make us think about why we even chose to take up writing as a career. Always think back to when you started it.
When you start as a freelance writer, you may not get great projects in the beginning. It may discourage you, and you may not want to continue working, but that is when you should not give up. It takes time to establish yourself in this industry, and you may have to face failures. You may not get great reviews for your first published book, but that should not stop you from writing the second.
You do not have a stable income. It all depends on the opportunities. If you get good projects, you earn good, and there may be a time when you earn less. It is better to be ready to face that, and you are good to go.
If you have decided to take the plunge in the Writing Career, then move forward, and do not get pessimistic about the work and the pace with which your career grows. We learn from it and make it better.
I hope you enjoyed writing about today’s challenge where you took a step in the past and shared an old photograph and the story behind it. The photograph might be old but sometimes memories keep the moments alive.
To get the list of the entire 30-day writing challenge, you can refer to the following link:
As the day ends, here is an article that shall increase curiosity:
