How Writing Shaped My Career
By harmonsonlaw on October 20th, 2023 in Uncategorized
Writing isn’t easy, and I won’t pretend that it is! Yet, it has become a significant part of my career and life. November is National Novel Writing Month, and while I have published two books in the past, I don’t plan on releasing anything new this fall. Instead, I want to share how writing has been my passion.
Back in high school, I never considered myself an exceptional writer, but I did at least have decent grades. It wasn’t until my sophomore English class that my teacher, Mrs. Favor, encouraged me to pursue writing further. It was when we were learning how to write a polished essay with all the right components. When the essays were graded and returned, Mrs. Favor went on and on about some student’s incredible paper, and I started thinking, “I wonder who she’s talking about?” That was until she dropped my name, and I was pretty stunned! That gave me the confidence to keep honing my skills, leading to my continued interest in writing during college.
My writing has always been geared more towards technical rather than creative. So, when law school came around, I kept my grades up and practiced perfecting writing law briefs and other technical documents. I was even accepted as a brief writer for our law school’s moot court team, and one of my briefs won the Best Brief Award, which got published in a law review journal! This was pretty exciting for me then and would lead me to write law briefs for lawyers once I graduated from law school.
It was an incredible way to gain more experience, and I even considered making it my career at one point. Yet, I knew I wanted to be more hands-on with clients and directly help others. Now, with my own firm, I use my writing to educate others and spread the word about our team. I started out this venture with blogging!
I wrote around 10 to 12 blog posts about the car accident process in Texas, anywhere from the moment you get into a crash to the moment you sign your settlement or head to trial. I made sure I wrote all the details others might brush over. Since it was for clients and readers who aren’t accustomed to law procedures, I knew I couldn’t assume everyone knew what I did. After some time, I decided to consolidate these blog posts into a full-blown book! I put the pieces together, filled in the gaps, enhanced the writing, and published it.
You can download the free eBook version of “The Insider’s Guide to Texas Auto Accident Claims” as well as my second book, “The Insider’s Guide to New Mexico Auto Accident Claims,” which was written for those in New Mexico which has different laws and protocols. I give a copy to every new client, not just to show that I know what I’m doing but also to help answer any questions they may have. I’ll admit it. I’m proud of these books and the amount of information they cover!
While I’m unsure if I will write any more books in the future, I keep a journal that I try to write in regularly. It’s my way of practicing my writing and decompressing from my day. I honestly think journaling can help many people, and I encourage you to try it!
You don’t have to churn out a whole book for National Novel Writing Month, but you can jot down your day in a journal. If you want to check out my two books, you can download them on the homepage of the site. Happy writing!
