✍️ Diary of an Author: 29 Things I've Learned as a Writer as I Turn 29 🎉

I turned 29 this week. Here are 29 things I've learned about what it takes to find success as a modern author in the digital age!

Amy Suto

Jun 18, 2023

Happy Sunday! In today’s newsletter, you’ll learn…

✍️ 29 tips to find success as a Modern Author

☕️ The secret of finding your 1,000 true fans

😎 Why the idea of a “starving artist” is a damaging myth

📖 3-Minute Story: 29 Things I’ve Learned About Finding Success as a Modern Author

I turned 29 this past Friday here in Valencia, Spain where I’m working remotely for the month!

I celebrated with brunch in the beautiful historic neighborhood of Valencia where a lot of the street art lives, and my partner Kyle planned an amazing day for me.

For this special edition of Diary of an Author, I wanted to share with you the 29 invaluable lessons I’ve learned about finding success as a modern author.

These lessons are an amalgamation of everything I’ve learned during this journey of becoming a six-figure freelanced writer, a published author, produced TV writer, and human who has spent 29 years just trying to figure it all out.

Here they are:

Writing to be read is a different skill than writing itself. When I studied at USC, I had an incredible professor who taught a class called Writing to Be Read. When you’re writing for an audience, you have to think of every line as a hook for their attention and emotion. You write differently when you’re thinking about your reader’s experience rather than when you’re just writing for yourself. Next time you’re writing something with the intent of it being consumed, ask yourself: what is my reader’s experience like when they consume this? How can I improve that experience?
Your writing will earn you a living if you can find your 1,000 true fans. Read this essay to understand why, as an artist, how finding your 1,000 true fans can change your life.
Do what you can to build your audience directly, online. I’ve seen too many talented writers in huge industries like Hollywood put their best work in drawers, never to be read by anyone. If you’re writing to be read, might as well find a way to share it with your audience directly, right? This could be by publishing on Substack, self-publishing your book, or writing on a blog.
Read, read, and read some more. Read great books, Twitter threads, thoughtful newsletters, inspiring journalism, and anything and everything else that piques your interest. You are what you read, after all.
Never feel bad for abandoning a boring book. That book abandoned your interest, so toss it aside and start something new. Otherwise, you’ll never truly know the joy of reading something you love if you’re always caught up in finishing books that were never meant for you.
All advice cancels to zero. If you combine all of the writing advice in the world, it all cancels to zero. You have people who swear by outlines, and then people like Stephen King who think that they hinder the writing process. Just do what you love, take the advice that helps you walk the road toward what you want to do, and discard the rest.
Books aren’t dead. They’re just changing. Case in point: BookTok (the book-oriented part of TikTok) now runs the publishing industry, with individual TikTok influencers controlling what hits shelves while speaking for new generations of readers. Humans are still hardwired to love storytelling — that will never change.
Reading improves empathy, lowers stress, and increases creativity. The research on the benefits of reading is clear: readers have more empathy, lower stress, and higher levels of creativity than their non-reading peers. Readers even live longer! Just another reason why you should pick up a book today.
The idea of a “starving artist” is just a myth. In Jeff Goins’ book Real Artists Don’t Starve, he debunks the idea that artists are meant to starve — using some great examples from history of artists who we think as being poor but were actually very entrepreneurial and well off.
Keeping up a “morning pages” habit is an essential part of a writer’s daily routine. Pair your morning caffeine hit of choice with a 15-minute timer and a blank page to get the most out of your morning. Doing daily freewriting is another way to boost creativity and clear the cobwebs from your morning mind.
The best skill you can invest in is understanding story structure. During my time as a TV writer, I learned story structure forward and backward, again and again. Now, story structure is so etched into my brain that it’s second nature, which makes the writing process so much easier and more fruitful. Want a crash course on story structure? I recommend picking up Shawn Coyne’s book The Story Grid.
There’s only so much craft you can learn. The rest you learn by doing. I’ve read dozens of books about the craft of writing, but I’ve learned the most by learning while doing. Don’t stand too long at the diving board: dive in and start writing, and then learn what you need along the way.
Provide value first, then monetize. If you’re writing online, be sure to provide value in a generous way first. Then, ask readers to support you by buying your books or becoming subscribers. Reciprocity begins by doing nice things for strangers, and those who value your work will support you!
Writing regularly for your newsletter and/or blog can and will change your life. I’ve met so many wonderful, kind people through my blog and newsletter. I’ve also earned hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of projects and passive income through my blog, which is why I recommend writing online to everyone. It’s the ultimate opportunity attraction strategy!
Learning marketing can enhance your creative works. Getting savvy about the commercial side of things isn’t “selling out.” Artists who learn a little bit about entrepreneurship gain superpowers, and are able to better find and serve their readers with these skills.
Discipline is about keeping the promises you make to yourself. Late last year, I promised myself that I would stick to a more regular schedule with writing online for my newsletter, blog, and social channels. I kept that promise, and it’s been amazing to meet more of you in the process! What promises are you making to yourself, and how are you building daily habits to support those promises? Atomic Habits by James Clear is my favorite book about this.
If it matters to you, you’ll find the time. If you’re not making time, what’s the reason? Do you not care? Or do you need to support yourself better with smarter habits and systems?
Sometimes, procrastination can be a form of self-care. Taking a break can co-exist with discipline! I took a break from my fiction publication Let Me Be Your Ghost because I felt burned out by aspects of my workload. I took some time off (as in, a few months!) and felt guilty, but this space allowed me to return feeling refreshed. Creative pursuits sometimes need to take a backseat to self-care, and that’s okay. Be kind to yourself if life gets in the way on occasion. It’s when you’re sabotaging yourself on a regular basis through procrastination that you need to turn on the discipline side of things.
Travel is a great way to challenge your perspective and beliefs. If you can, try and get out of where you live a little more often to find new inspiration and life-changing perspective. You can read my remote work blog posts for more about this!
Nobody is coming to save you: you have to publish/make/produce your own work. In this blog post I share more on this philosophy about why you shouldn’t wait for industry gatekeepers to anoint you: you need to get your own work out there.
The craft of writing takes time to master: be patient and put in the reps. Writing is a skill that takes time: honor the work and the time it takes to master it.
Sometimes, the best way to market your book is to publish another book. That’s why many authors build their following using book series. It gives fans more ways to engage with their favorite characters, and allows authors to continue to expand to their worlds while bringing new fans into what they’re creating.
Gatekeepers are gone: welcome to the Creator Economy. You no longer need a book agent, publisher, or other gatekeeper to make a lovely living as an author. You just need to give yourself permission to try, and from there you just have to identify the audience you’re writing for and put in the work.
Freelancing is a great way to monetize your services if you love helping people. I wrote my new book Six-Figure Freelance Writer all about this craft and why it’s such a great path for writers who want to help others by selling their services as professional writers.
Learn the story trifecta to be unstoppable: master building suspense, creating surprise twists, and designing compelling arcs for your characters in order to keep readers hooked.
If you’re chasing status or fame, you’ll never be happy. I’ve seen writers get trapped in a rat race of “I’ll be happy when…” because they’re chasing fame or status. Write because you love it, find ways to make it financially sustainable, and don’t dream of fame or status if you want to be truly happy.
The best writing stems from deep emotion. So let yourself live fully and feel deeply in order to show up in your work in the most powerful way. In your morning pages, channel what you’re feeling and don’t be afraid of what’s lurking underneath the surface of your mind.
Give yourself permission to take big creative risks. Don’t be afraid to fail: leave it all on the page, and learn with every draft.
Never give up. Never, ever give up. I’ve been writing since I was a kid, and have always loved this art form. I’m so glad I’ve always stuck with the art of writing, and am grateful to the past versions of myself that continued walking this path. You’ll never regret doing what you love.

In all of my 29 years, I couldn’t be luckier to end up where I am today, writing this newsletter to you as I work remotely from Europe for the summer. Thanks for letting me grace your inbox today. 💕

Have a wonderful start to your week 🙂

✨ 2 Quotes to Inspire You

“I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word. Sometimes I write one, and I look at it, until it begins to shine.” -Emily Dickinson
“We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” -Joan Didion

✍️ 1 Journal Prompt

What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned as a writer in your life so far? What are the leaps you’ve made? What books have you read that have changed you, and in what ways?