6 Things Freelancers and Content Writers Can Learn from Dickens
From serialising work to developing a content brand (or two), the great Victorian has much to teach modern creators of content
Reading biographies of Charles Dickens, who died 150 years ago, I am struck by how modern a writer Dickens was in many ways, and how many of the challenges he faced resonate with content writers today. So here are a few content marketing lessons from the great man himself.
1. Write of what you know
Dickens’ fiction was rooted in his own experiences, such as his time as a child labourer (David Copperfield), his stint as a lowly law clerk (Oliver Twist, Bleak House), and his father’s imprisonment in debtor’s prison (Little Dorritt, The Pickwick Papers). Every anecdote and character he encountered was grist for his fictional mill, and with a near-photographic memory he was able to transform even distant real-life scenes into vivid fictional set pieces.
Learning
Always be on the lookout for ideas and jot them down whenever they arrive (often this will not be in the office).
