Developing The Writer's Mindset
Systems, Persistence, and the Art of Writing for Writing's Sake
My Medium friends can read this over there as well.
Why I’ve Always Loved Writing
I’ve been thinking about the writer’s mindset and how the famous phrase “art for art’s sake” (or ars gratia artis) applies perfectly to the act of writing for writing’s sake - scribendi gratia scribendi.
This passion has been with me since childhood. I vividly remember writing short stories in primary school, like “Another Unwanted Gift,” about a supernatural, ghastly jack-in-the-box.
I became utterly consumed by that story, drawing the blood-spattered cover and pouring over the details. That was the first time I can remember being truly captivated by writing.
This early passion led to academic success: A’s in English at GCSE and A-level, the school English prize (in truth I wasn’t that good at anything else), that led me to study English and Art History at the University of Birmingham.
It was a brilliant time spent analyzing literature and writing about works of art.
How I Fell Into Copywriting
My career path then took me into broadcast journalism after studying in the second city for a second time at Birmingham City University.
I worked at BBC Radio Stoke and BBC Radio Suffolk, doing graveyard shifts for a couple of years, writing packages and news reports.
However, I soon realised my head was being turned by the world of copywriting (as it paid better). So I moved sideways into this related career, first at a friend’s graphic design studio, then taking on my own clients - many of them in the finance sector.
I found myself immersed in practicing and learning about copywriting, but somehow managed to write a novel about the Peasants’ Revolt during this period too. It was my late grandfather who sparked my interest in local history - much of which is in the book.
Podcasting became another avenue, and I especially enjoyed crafting interview questions for my guests - who I loved meeting.
For years, I also blogged through my brand, Content Champion, and shifted into content strategy and SEO, helping clients with on-page and off-page work. In this time I worked with hundreds of clients over 1000+ projects.
The Creator Promise
During lockdown, when client work slowed, I pivoted - starting a content site business, developing three profitable niche sites.
When I sold the largest one for a five-figure sum, I faced a choice: return to client work after 20 years, or embrace the role of a creator full-time.
As AI began to impact my copywriting work, I chose the latter - fuelled by over 25 years of experience across journalism, copywriting, authorship, and podcasting.
The Content Champion brand is perfectly positioned for this new creator business, allowing me to strategically help other writers. This all brings me full circle back to the idea of writing for writing’s sake.
This Story Is Not About Me, It’s About You
I know, I’ve been going on about myself a fair bit - but please bear with me.
While my personal story provides the context, this article is not actually about me - it’s about you.
The true lesson I’ve learned over a quarter-century of writing is that what sustained my career was not natural talent, but systems and persistence.
They are two sides of the same coin: persistence to keep going, and the habits and systems to back that persistence up. This is the crucial mindset shift.
In order to succeed as a creator, it’s vital to cultivate a writer’s mindset of persistence and consistency, developing a writing habit that genuinely fits your lifestyle.
This isn’t about a one-size-fits-all approach; it’s about being realistic. If you have a job or client work, writing every day may not be feasible. The key is to find what you can do daily to maintain momentum.
That’s why online writing, and building a creator business around it, is entirely about consistency, habits, and momentum over the myth of innate talent.
If you’re ready to explore these ideas, and access simple writing systems to grow your freedom-first creator business, then please consider subscribing to Content Champion.