How to find your writing niche

As any young writer will tell you, deciding on what to write to connect with your audience on a deep level can be pretty overwhelming.  When I first started writing, I struggled to find my place and power as a writer. I was interested in certain topics but worried that not many people would connect with those kinds of issues or find them useful. Much more than that was the feeling that I wasn’t authentic for wanting to write what people wanted to read.

How does one find a balance between what the market expects and what you really want to do? And how do you get to the point where you recognize that what you want to write about is authentically you not just something you heard or have read from someone else?

I believe it comes with experience and some good old trial and error. The more you write, and the more experiences you have, the easier it is to find something that calls to your heart.

So, if you’re on the path to finding your authentic writing voice, I suggest you take these few steps.

1. Experiment

Don’t know where to start? Pick a topic, a genre, an idea and start there. Write freely, with no inhibitions. It may end up being your forever style or not. But you’ll never know if you don’t try. Love fiction? Start with short stories. Dream up plots, ideas, and stories and experiment with them. Want to try poems? Go right ahead, the more you work, the easier it is to recognize what pulls at your heartstrings and what bores you. The most important thing is to be consistent.

2. Get tons of feedback

Helpful feedback is worth its weight in gold. It helps you make changes, get better and test your ideas. The comment section on your blog might help you here. It is also helpful to join a writing community where you can get feedback on your work while also giving feedback to others. Examining others’ work is as crucial to a writer’s growth process as getting feedback on her own.

Ensure you get feedback from both readers and writers. Some readers are perceptive enough to know what works and what doesn’t. You don’t have to be a writer to recognize stellar content.

3. Consider your passion and how that feeds into your work

Writing that draws the heart comes from an organic place. People want to read writers who know their stuff. And knowing your stuff comes from experience and authentic connection to your topic.

When I started sharing my work online, I put out my retellings of Bible stories.

After a while, I began to write popular fiction. Then I wrote my first book in the Christian fiction/Romance genre. A few years later, I started a devotional blog and after that began to write content on purpose, passion, and productivity (which is the focus of my third book, coming soon! 🙂 )

The truth is that I am passionate about all these genres and it took me a long time to decide on what I wanted to focus on. I wrote my passion at those different times, and I couldn’t be happier. So, think about your passion and how you can showcase that in your work.

4. Pay attention to your experiences

The things you have been through in life could end up being your passion and the focus of your writing. Some writers are passionate about spreading awareness on certain social issues because they have had personal encounters in that area.

Overcoming a financial predicament could be the driving force behind wanting to educate others about money. Surviving a case of domestic violence could spur on a desire to educate other about this issue.

So, think about your experiences and how they can impact your work as a writer.

Whatever you decide, be consistent in the pursuit of your writing goals.

Rooting for you!

Do you need help to achieve your writing goals? As a writing coach, I help writers and aspiring authors beat the resistance, get unstuck and complete their books. Click here to schedule a free consultation.

Check out my coaching packages or email me at remiroy@remiroyonline.com.

May all your dreams come true, with pomp and splendor!