Hard Work Goes a Long Way: Guest Post by @ImSimplyDebbie #amwriting

Today Debbie from the Life, Love, and Music blog shares several writing tips perfect for bloggers or those writing a book.

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Few people are born writers. Like any other profession, writing takes patience and tons of hard work. The more you write, the better you become. The basics of a good writer do not change significantly from one genre to another or from one writer to another. Here are the basics of good writing, I have learned along the way.

1.  Always think before you write – Few people can observe an event and immediately grasp its meaning. Writing requires ideas, and ideas require a thought process.

Ideas should satisfy four criteria:

• they must relate to the reader
• they must engage the reader’s attention
• they must concern the reader
• they must be in the reader’s interest area

Sometimes ideas come quickly but sometimes they might take longer to form. Don’t rush a good writing idea. Take time to develop the language and the voice you wish to use. Your reader will appreciate your time spent when they read words they can relate to.

2. Don’t be afraid of the draft – After deciding on an idea and establishing the purpose, they writer should prepare a rough draft. This is a necessary step in the writing process. Writing, no matter how good, can usually be improved with a second, third and fourth look. The draft helps you to organize your ideas and plot their development before you commit them to the written test.

3. Simplify and clarify –  In writing, the simpler the better. Today, with more and more consumers reading from computer screens, simplicity is the key. The more people that understand your words, the better chance for stimulating their curiosity. In practically every case, what makes sense is the simple rather than the complex. Clarity is another essential. The key to clarity is each word or passage must belong. If a word is unnecessary, take it out. Writing requires lots of time and editing, but is well worth it, when the finished product is ready.

4. Finally, writing must be aimed at the reader – The writer must have a target reader in mind and write the message for that audience. To win the minds and hearts of a specific audience, the writer must be willing to sacrifice the understanding of certain others.

Debbie – Writer, Dreamer, Lover, Believer, Inspirational, Book Addict

I am a full time accountant but my true passion in life is reading and writing. I’m the co-owner of a website I am very proud of called Life Love and Music which focuses on inspiration, motivation, writing, and music and technology news. I also review books for several different book blog tours such as CLP Tours, ATOMRTours, Novel Publicity Tours, plus I do several reviews from direct author requests. I am the new Chick Lit Expert over at http://evie-bookish.blogspot.com/

 

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