Sometimes it pays to get a head start in life. The years of university can go pass in a blur and while you are getting a degree, other people are getting ahead in their careers. University is stressful and piling on any more work can cause burn out, so here is a few ways to get your foot in the door of a writing career. So when you leave university, you have that all important head start.

Write for the student paper, if there isn’t a student paper, make one. Lots of people, including Richard Branson, got their start from doing a student paper. You will learn all the basics of journalism and will make invaluable contacts. You will also have a market for your publication: you’re fellow student.

Start a Blog: Starting a blog had made many people rich and famous. Think Belle Du Jour. You will also get into the habit of writing regularly, learn what people are reading most and gain invaluable skills.

Write as much as possible: You probably won’t get paid at first but you will find your voice as a writer and also learn the discipline of writing. Many people give up because of the sight of a blank screen.

Ask for feedback: Ask your most trusted friends and family for feedback on your writing. It’s the only way you will get better. You will probably have some bad writing habits or overuse certain words. Only ask people whose opinion you trust. Don’t take the feedback negatively, but as an opportunity to learn.

Write an e-book: There a number of e-readers out there. Amazon’s Kindle has made it very easy for anyone to write a book and sell it on Amazon. Write fiction or take something you know and sell your wisdom to someone else. If you write 500 words a day, it will take you 160 days to get to 80,000 words. It is completely manageable to do that in a year.