You don’t need to specialize in one area of writing

Anything is fair game for writing.

Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash

I frequently see writers and bloggers advising to narrow your focus from the start. Even though writing about a particular subject is beneficial, it is not required, especially if you are just starting.

I had no idea what to write about when I first started posting on the internet. The long-time reader that I am, I made the decision to write about the books I had read.

Along with investing money, I was interested in personal development. I therefore also wrote about these subjects.

I also provided diet and health advice on my blog.

It seems absurd, looking back, that I wrote about so many different subjects. Even though it might seem a little absurd, it did teach me how to write effectively.

Today, my writing focuses mainly on online writing and personal development.

I’ve “niched down” to the subjects that interest and inform me.

Don’t start out by narrowing your focus.

Don’t specialize when starting your writing career. Write about anything you want instead. If your readers are confused, let them be.

Continue to write about the topics you enjoy. Share your knowledge by conducting research and writing about your experiences.

Concentrate on developing knowledge, improving writing, and enduring habits. Most importantly, give readers something useful.

In all honesty, people aren’t as concerned as you might think. They won’t object if you write about various subjects. They merely want to read quality material. Therefore, if you have good writing skills, you will succeed.

I get asked this question by aspiring writers a lot. They confess to me that they want to start a blog but are unsure of what to write about.

I advise them to start a personal blog where they can write about anything. Once they feel confident in their writing, they can later specialize and start a new blog.

The most crucial step is to JUST START.

How will you know what to write about if you haven't started writing yet?

It is a waste of time to consider a niche. It is making an effort to be perfect. One thing I’ve discovered about perfectionism is this:

It prevents success.

Simply begin writing. Start writing after gathering a variety of topics you want to write about. Now is the right moment. Don’t wait until the next day. Start working on your idea as soon as possible.

My first five blog posts covered a variety of topics in various niches. They covered topics like books, career advancement, personal development, COVID (health), and finances.

Back then, no one read what I wrote. They complimented me and continued living their lives if they enjoyed one of my articles.

I might not have started a blog in the first place if I had given the topic I wanted to write about more thought.

I wrote about anything I felt like. Most importantly, though, I sat down and began writing.

You’ll find a niche eventually.

Quantity is more important than quality. Quantity rather than quality is more important when you first start. Prioritize volume first. Quality will come after.

Your niche fits into this as well.

You’ll eventually find the best topic if you write about a variety of subjects. You can recognize it by a number of things, including:

• audience reactions to you.
• Your capacity to write in that specific field.
• If you enjoy writing about it.
• The ways you write.

You will understand your ideal niche once they are all added up.

A friend once questioned me about my plans to write and publish a book. I told him I would write one after I had written 100 blog posts because I would have found my niche by then.

After publishing 100 articles, I wrote an ebook. However, I hadn’t really found my niche at that point.

I finally discovered it after reading more than 150 articles.

Last words

I’m not at all advocating against having a narrower focus. My point is that picking your niche shouldn’t stop you from writing what you want to.

It’s similar to the “do something” principle.

Mark Manson mentioned it in his book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. It asserts that action has two causes: motivation and cause.

Most often, a lack of motivation keeps you from taking action. However, taking action can actually give you the motivation you’ve been looking for.

Therefore, do not first identify your niche before writing about it. Instead, start by writing about what you want, and you’ll eventually discover your niche.

Thank you for reading.