Starting a career as a writer could definitely be one of the most exciting and life-changing decisions you'll ever make. Like most highly-creative and intuitive writers, your head might be bursting with ideas that you can't wait to start putting on paper. However, when the time comes to actually sit down and create your very first literary work, you might have a hard time figuring out which topic to write about. Naturally, you want your skills and brilliant style to shine through so publishers will sit up and take notice. However, this can be quite hard to achieve, considering that there are millions of other wannabe writers like you wanting to get noticed.

A lot of novice writers tend to go overboard with their writing in their effort to land a job or to get published in a magazine. Unfortunately, this style rarely works. Publishers are looking for talented writers who can write in a smooth and natural way that doesn’t appear forced or over the top. The best way to achieve this is actually surprisingly easy -- all you have to do is write about topics that are close to your heart. Issues and stories that are very familiar to you are the best to use when writing your first literary works. Since you already know a lot about these topics, you don't need to spend too much time on research and instead, you can focus on polishing your style. With familiar topics, there is also no need to pretend to be knowledgeable because you actually are.

This also applies to the kind of jobs you should apply for. Many new writers are perfectly willing to write anything just so they can put their foot in the door. This might be an excellent way of proving their versatility but it can also have disastrous effects in the long run. For example, if you have a lot of interest in fashion and clothing, it would make more sense to apply for a job at Cosmopolitan rather than Newsweek. Eventually, you should widen your horizons but while you are still starting, the best strategy is to stick to what you know.

As you gain more experience as a writer, you will find out that there are also certain styles of writing that appeal more to you than others. It will be to your advantage if you focus on these styles and master them rather than attempt to be good at everything all at once. Once you have found your niche in the world of writing, it will be much easier for you to go out and venture to different styles and topics.