Nick Daws is a semi-retired freelance writer, age 69. He’s written over 100 non-fiction books, from The Internet for Writers to Living and Working in Germany. He is also an award-winning short-story writer. Nick runs a personal finance blog called Pounds and Sense and writes as a freelance about finance and matters pertaining to older people.

How do you discipline/motivate yourself to write and do you set daily targets?

When I was a full-time freelance with no other source of income, the work imposed its own discipline, because if I didn’t write, I wouldn’t have any money to pay the bills! Nowadays I’m semi-retired and have income from other sources such as pensions so that isn’t such a big issue. Still, I set myself daily and weekly targets, and am a great believer in the value of to-do lists.

What are the most important qualities required by a writer? Do you have them?

You must be able to focus on work and shut out distractions while you are writing. In this day and age that can be difficult, of course. You must be happy with your own company, as writing is by nature a solitary occupation. And while you don’t need to be Shakespeare, you do need a basic grasp of spelling, grammar and punctuation. It helps a lot if you enjoy reading too, not just in your own field but more widely. I’d like to think I have all these qualities, though I do sometimes struggle getting down to work. I’m prone to procrastination and can find a million and one other things to do before sitting down to write. Once I’ve started, though, I often have to force myself to step away from the computer for the sake of my health!

How do you market yourself?

In the past I found word of mouth and personal recommendation among the best ways to market myself. Going to writers’ conferences (as a speaker or participant) definitely helped get my name (and face) known and sometimes generated commissions and bookings too. Some of my best long-term writing gigs actually came from replying to ads in the Guardian newspaper and specialist writing magazines. I was also lucky to get referrals over the years from clients and colleagues, including fellow writers. These days I rely more on social media, mainly Twitter/X and Facebook. My blog also acts as a calling card. I regularly get approached by people wanting to advertise and/or have content published there. It has also generated writing commissions for me, including from the Sun and Daily Telegraph.

Which writing resources have you found useful, e.g., books, courses, organisations, websites etc.?

I think every writer should have a style guide such as the one published for many years by the Economist magazine. The latest version, available from Amazon UK, is titled Writing With Style. I’m also a big fan of On Writing by horror author Stephen King. This is an entertaining read and has many good tips for fiction writers in particular. As regards websites, I regularly visit the free Thesaurus.com if I’m struggling to find the exact word I need or just require an alternative to avoid repeating myself!

A top tip for other writers?

Writing is a very competitive field and talent only gets you so far. You also need to be persistent and never give up, even in the face of repeated rejection. I’d also advise joining a local writers’ group. I have belonged to various groups over the years and the support and constructive criticism I have received from members has been invaluable.

About Nick’s Pounds and Sense blog

Nick has been running his Pounds and Sense personal finance blog since 2016. It covers making money, saving money and investing from an older person’s perspective. The blog also covers other subjects relevant to over-50s, including health, diet, holidays, and so on.