8 Writing Tips
November 26, 2008 by BloggerNewbie
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Writing can be a challenge. You are concerned if your writing is clear and concise. Will the reader follow my thoughts? Are my thoughts organized? Is it interesting?
You’ve heard of writer’s block? What do you do to avoid writer’s block? Do you want to be a better writer? So many questions. I follow these 8 simple writing tips.
- Read, read and read some more. What? How will that help me. I am already a good reader. I want to learn how to write better. Reading more gives you added exposure to different writing styles. You can see what you like, what you don’t like. You can get a feel for what type of writing interests you. Read some trade journals. Are you a fiction writer or a non-fiction writer? If you write “how to” articles you will approach your writing from a different angle then if you are a children’s story writer. Read trade journals that offer different tips and ideas.
- Write, write and write some more. The more you write the more confidence you will gain in your writing skills. Look at some of your earlier posts! You will definitely notice a difference. You get an appreciation for what works for you. You find your voice, so get writing.
- Don’t write under pressure. Don’t ever write under pressure. Don’t wait until you are short on time or have too many other things on your schedule. Writing under pressure will affect the outcome in many ways. It certainly won’t be your best work. You won’t be able to think clearly or creatively because your thoughts will be focused on “have to get this done” thoughts.
- Brainstorm. Get creative, put your ideas down just as they come to you. Go back and review your notes then organize them into some kind of format. Let your writing simmer for a day or so. Review again. During both of these review sessions more ideas will come to you. I have a file with tons of titles and pictures that inspire me with different writing ideas. Return to your writing finally to formalize your story or article with editing. This is when you check for grammar and tweak for final results.
- Keep it all together. Keep all of your thoughts together in one place. If you write in a notebook, use only one. If you write on your computer, keep your notes together. Being organized alleviates the feeling of stress. You don’t need additional areas to think about, you need to concentrate on writing.
- Problem solving. “Define the problem, offer the solution.” What is the point of your story or post? What do you want your reader to walk away with. Keep your writing organized. Remember, people come to your blog for a reason. The reason is; they want something. They may want to laugh, some want to learn, others maybe want to get their thought for the day.
- Show and Tell. Show is better than tell. Remember when you were a child? You remember. Isn’t showing much more clear than telling? How do you “show” when you write? You explain, you describe. You make your reader feel. Mary was dizzy, she felt nauseous, all of her muscles ached, she needed to set down - or - Mary didn’t feel well.
- Don’t wait for perfect.
Perfect – entirely without any flaws, defects or shortcomings.
I don’t know about you, but perfect does not describe my writing and I am sure it never will. There is no such thing as perfect. Don’t wait for your writing to be perfect. Writing is not perfect. Are you ever done? Is it ever good enough? Do you go back time and again. Don’t linger on a post too long looking for that one perfect word. If you wait until the elusive “perfect” is in order, you will never publish.
What do you do to help with your writing? What tip makes you a better writer?
Toodles – Blog Happy!
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“The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas…”
- Linus Pauling
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Number 2 is so true. I cringe when I go back and read my early articles – they’re boring.
Great list Dee!
Kim:
I have to laugh when I go back and read my earlier posts. You can actually “see” how nervous and shaky I was. Do you have any other strategies that you always implement when you write?
These are some great tips Dee! I’m going to keep this one handy. I especially liked #7 – it’s so easy to omit feeling from our writing.
Thanks!
Rachel – Yes I like to read and write by #7. I often have a hard time with that one. It doesn’t always fit into blogging. I was thinking of blogging and short stories while I was writing this post.
I also find it challenging to stay clear and organized with my words. What do you do to keep on topic?
Great post Dee! Bookmarked for later referance!
Webdesi3´s last blog post..Tutorial: How to use CSS
Hey, I like posts with writing tips – I’m my worst enemy I think when it comes to critique!
Regarding blogger-block, I like writing things down and keeping notes as I think of things, also walking away and leaving things to the next day is sometimes a good approach to take if I’m really stumped!
Cheers
-Ross
Ross´s last blog post..So you’ve heard it all before? Part 1: Gratitude
Ciara – Thank you – I also have a few of your tutorials bookmarked, one on html that I need to reference to fix the border of my “popular posts” section. I am not familiar enough with html or css to really know how to tell the difference!
Ross – Whenever I think I have a “wonderful” post I’m usually among the few and often the opposite is true about an “okay” post. I think leaving a post to simmer is a good idea. I have had many posts that I thought I couldn’t finish but when I went back to it, words just flowed! I have about 25 partially started posts from all my brilliant ideas. I add to them whenever I get inspired!
I make a quick draft whenever I come up with an idea or a post that I want to elaborate on.
I wrote about how writing was my least favorite part of blogging so I don’t know if I have other strategies other than forcing myself to write.
Kim Woodbridge | (Anti) Social Development´s last blog post..Google Page Rank – A Sudden 3 Point Drop!!!
Kim – I do the brainstorm part first. Sometimes I just write a title. I try to avoid that though cause sometimes I forget where I was going with the thoughts! Is writing still a chore? At first it can be until you find your voice, I read that post about your least favorite things in blogging, but the more I write the more I enjoy it.
Dee Langdon – BloggerNewbie´s last blog post..Twitter – Amazing Tool or Total Waste of Time?
Sometimes we all need to take it back to basics to become successful at writing. Thanks for the tips. I would add one more tip though…
Read Copyblogger Daily – http://www.copyblogger.com
Derek´s last blog post..Who Else Wants To Sell Like Gary Vaynerchuk?
Derek,
Writing can be so much fun and so challenging at the same time! Brian Clark is great and he has plenty of talented guest writers as well. Always interesting! Thanks for stopping by.
Hey thanks for the writing tips
, Please have a look at my blog over at http://www.genxor.com if you get time, I’m 16 and making money online.
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Hi Karl,
Thanks and thanks for stopping by. Blogs are certainly popular in the UK! Keep up the good work.
what helps me with my writing is to get out of the house and go exploring. you can find so much to write about just by being around other people, listening to their conversation and observing them. When i keep myself hostage in the house, there is not too much creativity going on here…i have to actually make myself think, but when I’m out doing other things, my writing writes itself.
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Natural,
writing naturally feels so much better doesn’t it? I have too many ideas rolling around in my little head at one time, I have to focus…
My family thinks I am blogging crazy because I turn every conversation into a post, maybe I should keep these little thoughts to myself…