Here's how you can cultivate confidence in your writing skills.

You need to know your readers. The best advice I have received was from my brother an editor at major magazines and newspapers. I started writing stories about 8 years ago after a corporate career. I showed him some of my work and he tore up the pages and threw them on the floor. His response was "You talk like this", I said no, and he replied "you sure as S aren't going to write like this". So it took me about a year to develop my style and began to write at a 6th grade level.I concentrate in only what I know and write family and children's stories. I knew I was on the right track when a grandmother approached me and said " I loved that story that you gave to my daughter for my grand daughter.". I stopped and smiled. It's working.

To cultivate confidence in your writing skiils, you need to read widely. This is so that you would have a wide knowledge on how to write. You should read all types and ways of writing. This is so that you can understand how it is written. You must also read works of all genres. This is so that you can understand how each genre is written. You must concentrate on how each work is written. From the sentencing, wording, grammar to anything that forms a piece.

Look for experts, writing experts, editors and good writers of books. Just because they call them a best seller doesn't mean their writing is good. Best sellers depends on number of books sold not necessarily on good writing.

I find podcasts helpful too. They certainly introduce me to new ideas. And I try to observe how the hosts/guests craft their arguments.

Writing, per se, itself is the art and habit that is inherent to the human race, and should always be practiced deliberately to mindfully refine the craft and technique, The beauty of Writing? It's done everyday! How? - Writing messages to a family member/friend - Writing about your favorite character - Writing a Poem in English or your vernacular language. - Writing a story (fiction, and from your real life) - Writing an Ad - Writing a Book Review/Movie Review And many more! The habit of writing can be started from any genre, domain, anywhere, anytime, and the muse to write is abundant and infinite! Ultimately, Deliberately Practice the Art of Writing consistently, to mindfully refine and improve your craft and technique!

You must write regularly in order to be able to be good in your writing. This is because the more you practice, the better you would be. Even if you don't have a writing project, you could still practice writing everyday. This is so that you wouldn't lose you knowledge in writing. You could also write on your blog, social media or even contribute to articles. This is so that you would be familiar with all sorts of writing.

In order to improve on your writing, you need to seek for feedback. This is so that you can correct the mistakes you've been making all along. You could seek for feedback from your mentor or someone senior whom you trust. This is because they would know your writing better than anyone else. You could also ask for feedback from your clients or employers. This is so that you would know which part of your writing they are disatisfied with.

I've learned the importance of just getting started. In Anne Lamott's book "Bird by Bird," she talks about the "Sh**y First Draft" aka SFD. This is the draft that only you will see because it's often absolutely abysmal. Get that first draft written so you have something to work with. Whatever you do, do NOT try to edit while you're writing the SFD. Approach the SFD without judgment and know that it's a necessary step in the writing process. In sum: SFD first, rewrite and edit ruthlessly second.

Embracing challenges is a powerful way to cultivate confidence in your writing skills. When you step out of your comfort zone, you push your boundaries and discover new capabilities. Start by setting small, manageable goals that slightly challenge your current skill level. For example, try writing in a different genre, or take on a complex topic you’re unfamiliar with. Each challenge you tackle, whether successful or not, teaches you something valuable and builds your resilience. Celebrate your efforts and progress, not just the end results. Over time, these experiences accumulate, boosting your confidence as you realize you can handle more than you initially thought possible.

Just like "stepping our of the comfort zone" applies in other things that you need to do to advance your skillset, it also does apply in writing. Take on a new topic, write down spontaneous ideas and expand on them. Covering a variety of topics in your portfolio would also help to secure more clients in your journey as a freelance writer.