Yes, anyone can write! But then, no individual is a born writer. The art of writing is simply a learned skill that can be incorporated in your life just as any other skill. Well, Steinbeck, Shakespeare and Tolstoy may have been blessed with certain extra literary genes; but then people like you can make that little extra effort to learn how to write in an effective manner. It’s much easier than you believe, with the truth being that: if you know how to speak, you can write. Follow these 10 top writing techniques that help you pen that thought in your head onto paper—effectively and conveniently.
10. Ignore The Blank Page
Instead of staring at the blank page of your pad or editing software (without having a clue regarding what to write); act like a master painter. Most artists start their paintings only after visualizing the final result in their head. If you are finding yourself getting frustrated after taking a stab at a few sentences or words, then it’s essential to look away, think a while and look for guidance and cues. In a nutshell, ignore your blank page.
9. Write By Taking Example
Plagiarism and “borrowing ideas” are two different things. It’s not advisable to blindly copy another writer’s work, never! But then, it does pay to look up the content of successful writers in the field and take tips from their published materials. For instance, if you have been asked to draft a press release, then it’s a good idea to go through trusted websites that regularly publish press releases, find a format that suits your needs and go ahead with your personal outline (heading, sub heading, paragraphs, boilerplate etc). In other words, borrow outline ideas and formats, but steer clear of another writer’s content.
8. Speak Before Writing
After having conceived what and how you’d like to write, it is best to speak out all that you intend to pen. You may either run your thoughts through a friend or record the same in the normal conversational tone. If you feel that what you hear is not good enough, then think again. Have no one to talk to? Go ahead and tell your story to your dog, your fish, or the fridge.
7. Always Use A Conversational Tone
Remember, the most impactful form of writing is the one that’s written in a free flowing conversational tone. If you succeed in writing in a manner in which you would talk to your friend, you will be placed on a higher level of authority and trust with your readers. In most cases, conversational writing manages to elicit strong impulses that garner good results.
6. Be Accurate With Details
More often than not, writers tend to leave out pertinent details that matter to the reader. Along with being concise, to-the –point and specific, it greatly pays to relay accurate information and be valuable in all written communications. Consider these two sentences. Jack has many flowers in his back yard. Jack grows over 34 varieties of floral shrubs in his back yard. These include pink coneflowers, yellow daylilies, purple asters, Shasta daisies as well as climbing clematis. Now what’s more interesting? Which sentence helps you get a peep into Jack’s back yard?
5. Attract Emotions
Elicit the highest levels of psychological response that you may hope to get from your readers. Its emotion that influences a reader to come to your party, buy your book, attend a seminar or invest in products. These emotions are also associated with solving the problems harbored by your readers. Passionate write-ups always trigger off the correct response and help you attain the results that you may have planned to achieve.
4. Write It – Leave It
After having written down all that you wanted to convey, it s right to leave your text—just the way it is. Turn off your computer or flip over your notepad and forget all about your piece of writing. Now, understand the concept of one of the top 10 writing techniques every professional writer will master. After an hour or so (as per your deadlines), revisit your piece and you will surely be amazed at the parts that happen to jump out of place and require immediate fixing. Read again. With more clarity coming your way, you can deliver sensible material to your readers. Yes, you may also forward the same to an editor friend (or well-wisher) for a sanity check.
3. Editing And Spell Check Tips
Do not forget to use your most dependable and easy-to-implement editing tool; the Spell Checker. You can also print out whatever you have written, place a paper or ruler underneath every line and read through the lines to trap the errors—if any. Next, you may turn your page upside down and view the same. Formatting and editing errors always stand out if you look at your textual content in this intriguing manner.
2. Book Writing Tips
Are you planning to write an e-book or book? The best place to begin is by drafting your book’s jacket copy first. This helps in clarifying your story and paving the way for writing and outlining your manuscript. It’s well advised to read the book jackets of bestsellers or other books in your collection and then create an effective one for your writing. This will entice your readers and motivate them to buy your book immediately.
1. Change Of Rituals And Scenery
Last but certainly not the least; serious writing sessions are best done in places that are far removed from your regular scenery and rituals. For example, you can try writing in cafés—especially Parisian cafés or some other exotic locations. A small change can go a long way in making your creative juices flow; just like a “thinking hat” or a lucky pen! In short, do anything to get yourself in the writing mode you will not be disappointed!