Oyunga Pala came to Writers Guild. Yes, he was the humble guest speaker during our Friday Ekklesia on 10th November 2017 at National Museums of Kenya. As he narrated his over 10-year writing journey from Saturday Nation’s Man Talk to running his own blog, he dropped invaluable jewels almost unawares.
Whether you saw the Man in person or not, here are 10 lessons from him that are precious to every freelance writer:
1. Write for passion sake. If it’s money you want, open a mobile money shop.
2. Write every day, for at least 5 minutes. That’s the only way to be consistent.
3. Writing is in the rewrite. Your first draft will never be perfect; your third edit might.
4. Watch less and read more. Books open up your mind to different world experiences and writing styles.
5. Know your why: why do you write? Don’t worry, it might take a while to figure it out.
6. Identify your interest and be good at it. Be known for something.
7. Be the purple cow. Make your stories stand out so that editors can’t help but notice you.
8. Be persistent like a mosquito. If you want a job, go for it. Send as many emails and voicemails as you need to.
9. Try out different things. If there’s an open door, use it even if it wasn’t the goal. It might just lead you to where you want to go.
10. You’re only as good as your last article. So make it good.
There you go. Are you ready to become a powerful writer like Oyunga Pala?
